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Date: 2/16/2022
WESTERN MASS. – Several area bridges could get needed repairs thanks to funding supported by Gov. Charlie Baker.
Baker announced on Feb. 3 a plan to invest $3 billion in 146 bridge projects statewide, using a combination of funding, according to the State House News Service. The first source is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden in November 2021. Congressmen Jim McGovern and Richard Neal announced in January that as part of the infrastructure law, Massachusetts will eventually receive $1.1 billion for bridge repair or replacement with a first payment of $225.3 million in 2022.
Both legislators praised the infrastructure investments, but admitted they were long overdue.
“Our national failure to invest in infrastructure has consequences. We all pay the price in slower commutes, more dangerous roads, more frequent car repairs, and a backlog of broken bridges a mile long,” said McGovern. “There are bridges in the Second District old enough to qualify for Medicare – but thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, things will soon be changing for the better. This is not just about fixing broken bridges, it’s about investing in our future and ensuring that America remains competitive in the global economy.”
Neal added, “Modernized and improved bridges statewide will provide safety for all users, and create good-paying jobs for workers. Bridges are vital pieces of our infrastructure – not only to our daily commutes, but also to emergency vehicles and the trucks that are making deliveries in our communities. I am grateful to the Biden Administration for making this promise that will be the catalyst for significant investment here in western and central Massachusetts a reality.”
The second funding source is $1.25 billion from a next-generation bridge program in the 2021 transportation bonding bill, according to the State House News Service. The news service also reported that Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler indicated a new transportation bond bill would be filed by the Baker Administration “in the coming weeks.”
The list of projects includes bridges in Northampton, Hadley, Leverett, Westhampton and Williamsburg with combined funding totaling approximately $21.3 million.
A bridge replacement project in Northampton at Old Springfield Road over the Mill River is currently in its very early stages, according to Kristen Pennucci, the communications director for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
“The project is currently in the pre-25 percent design stage with the draft 25 percent submission anticipated in late March 2022,” said Pennucci. “After some additional review and comment resolution, a formal design public hearing will be scheduled.”
The original four-span concrete bridge, which was built in 1940, was closed after an underwater inspection identified critical foundation members in a failing condition. A temporary bridge was placed to span over the existing bridge to maintain traffic. The existing bridge piers, however, have significant scour issues due to erosion of the soil below the pier foundations under the water line.
According to the MassDOT website, the estimated total contract cost for the project is $3.1 million, and the plan is to fund the project through the 2025 Transportation Improvement Program for the Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization.
“The current advertising date project is February 2025, and construction will follow once a contractor is selected,” said Pennucci. “We anticipate 18 to 24 months for construction.”
The Westhampton bridge maintenance on Perry Hill Road over North Branch Manhan River is currently programmed for funding in the federal Fiscal Year 2025, which runs from October 2024 to September 2025, according to Marie Joyce Rose; the director of project management for MassDOT.
“It is scheduled to be advertised for bids in December of 2024, and as such, is in the preliminary design stage,” said Rose. “Bridge sketch plans-25 percent level-are scheduled to be submitted in June 2022.”
According to the MassDOT website, the estimates total contract cost is almost $1.6 million, and is planned to be funded through the 2025 Transportation Improvement Program for the Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Proposed improvements to the Bay Road Bridge over the Fort River on Route 47 received $5.5 million in funding.
Hadley Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan said the 84-year-old bridge has suffered significant deterioration over the years. While there have been several short-term repairs made over time including a recent repair to its substructure, the bridge does not meet current Federal Highway Administration standards for accessibility and safety.
“The project scope is mainly to complete replacement of the bridge, to improve safety and meet current state safety standards,” Brennan said.
Brennan said she is awaiting more information from MassDOT but, based on the initial public hearing regarding the bridge in 2019, she believed the work would also include upgrades to the water main service across the bridge, the roadway and the stormwater system.
Information provided by MassDOT states the project in Williamsburg has a projected budget of $8.4 million and involves two bridges. One structure will replace the current bridge over the Mill River at Bridge Street. The second structure, known to residents as the Library Bridge, will cross over the Mill River near the Williamsburg Police Department.
The replacement bridge at Bridge Street will not be as wide as the existing span, an element of the design meant to smooth the flow of traffic. The Library Bridge replacement, necessary due to erosion of the central pier, will be wider than the current roadbed. Other uses will be accommodated in the added width.
The proposed work will change the traffic pattern. Both bridges, and the section of South Main Street that runs between, also to be refurbished, will be limited to one-way traffic. When complete, both bridges and the section of South Main Street, will create a one-way loop.
Community input was solicited at a meeting on Feb. 25, 2020.
The proposed bridge replacement in Leverett, located near the intersection of Shutesbury Road and Millers Road, estimated to cost $2.7 million, will see a steel and wood bridge replaced by a steel and concrete bridge, according to MassDOT. The project accesses two properties, necessitating a temporary twelve-foot gravel roadway be installed on January Road for the duration of the project, to act as a detour during construction.
The new bridge will span 52 feet. The existing masonry supports will be removed, as will the steel beams currently supporting the span, to be replaced with concrete beams. The roadbed will be 14 feet and nine inches wide and show an overall width of 18 feet. Extensive landscaping will be required.
A public hearing to gather community input took place in April 2021.
The complete list of bridge projects, including 181 individual structures at an estimated cost of $1.74 billion, can be viewed at https://www.mass.gov/doc/bil-bridge-program/download/.
Staff writers Ryan Feyre, Trent Levakis and Doc Pruyne and Managing Editor Chris Maza contributed to this report.