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Date: 8/1/2023
WILLIAMSBURG — Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation met with residents and town officials to discuss the replacement of the Bridge Street and South Main Street bridges, a $10.3 million project.
The Bridge Street bridge will be replaced, rather than refurbished, because it is structurally compromised. Built in 1918 and rehabilitated in 1968, this bridge shows cracked and dislodged stones in the abutments and a central load-bearing pier that, according to the MassDOT presentation, is “in serious condition.” The pier has been undermined by the Mill River and the bridge has vehicle load restrictions.
Built about 66 years ago, the South Main Street bridge was put into service in 1957 and also features load restrictions. Replacement of that bridge will support the extra traffic that will detour on the South Main Street span while the Bridge Street span is being removed and replaced.
Another aim of replacing the South Main Street bridge is to accommodate a shared-use path across the Mill River that will connect to the Mill River Greenway path. One of three stated goals of the project is to construct the path along South Main Street.
According to Brent Richards, designer on the project, both spans will have a single lane. Two-lane bridges were considered and rejected, as was a relocation.
“That single lane travel will start to establish the traffic loop around Bridge Street. Walpole Road will be maintained in existing condition for bi-directional traffic,” Richards said.
The new bridges will feature a concrete deck on steel beams. The Bridge Street bridge will support an 11-foot-wide travel lane while the South Main Street bridge’s vehicle lane will be 10 feet wide. The Bridge Street span, in this design, includes two sidewalks and a five foot shoulder for bicyclists.
Two sidewalks were not favored by town officials, residents and business owners.
Gaby Immerman, chair of the Mill River Greenway Committee, expressed gratitude for the attention and energy given to the town by the MassDOT officials. She didn’t have a problem with the basic bridge design, but rather with the lanes for foot traffic.
“We don’t feel a second sidewalk is needed,” Immerman said, “so we would like to discuss that.”
Highway Superintendent Dan Banister agreed with Immerman that the second sidewalk should go, but for a different reason.
“Eliminate the sidewalk on the south side of Main Street due to the snow removal during the winter time,” Banister said.
Joe Pasternak, who operates the Williamsburg Funeral Home, located between South Main Street and the Mill River, spoke for himself and others when he said, “Some of us are quite shocked” because no one contacted them for feedback on the project and how it would impact them.
“We were all in agreement putting the traffic all one way. But the total elimination of parking on the east side of the street will shut down my business. It’s not giving me any parking for handicapped people. There’s no place to park a hearse,” Pasternak said.
Pasternak, who serves 150 to 250 clients a year, said it would put him out of business if allowances weren’t made for parking. Immerman was also concerned about traffic flow of large trucks going to M. J. Moran Inc., a heating contractor, and Joe’s Garage.
David Webber, also a member of the Mill River Greenway Committee, argued for a path of 8 feet rather than 10 feet to allow strollers, electric carts and wheelchairs to traverse the path without crossing every driveway ramp. A narrower foot path, he said, allows for each ramp to remain outside the flow of pedestrians and others.
Steve Herzberg observed that hardly anyone traveling Rte. 9 in the area of the bridges ever goes the speed limit. “What traffic calming mechanisms are you going to use?” Herzberg asked.
A speed hump will be installed near the end of the Bridge Street Bridge.
Eric Bloomquist, also a Mill River Greenway Committee member, enquired how the expected intensification of climate events is being considered in the design of the new bridges. Richard said that preparing for climate impacts is a primary reason the bridges are being replaced rather than refurbished.
“We’ll be providing countermeasures, rip rap that will really armor that. We do as much as we can, practically speaking, so these will be resilient structures,” Richard said.
The questions petered out and the meeting to solicit input at the 25% design completion stage came to a close. Another informational meeting is planned for September for the project estimated to take seven years to complete.