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Date: 8/3/2022
WESTFIELD – Construction on the Cowles Bridge is expected to resume next week after supply chain issues resulted in a delay in getting parts for the water mainline portion of the project.
City Engineer Allison McMordie said that work on the bridge replacement project had been on pause for weeks because crews lacked parts needed to minimize disruptions to the city’s water supply. Near the bridge is a water line that feeds most of the city.
“The work around it has to be done with the utmost care to avoid water disruptions,” said McMordie, adding that it is of greater importance in what has proven already to be a hot summer.
She said work should resume the week of Aug. 8, and that crews have already begun setting up the water line and doing minor preparations before the bulk of the work resumes. The project timeline may be altered slightly, she said, but it is still anticipated to be complete by late 2024, barring future significant disruptions.
A new bridge is under construction while the current bridge remains open to vehicles under certain weights. Vehicles too heavy to drive over the bridge, including some emergency first responder vehicles, must detour from Granville Road to City View Boulevard to get from the north to the south side of the bridge.
The bridge sits on the main route between most of Westfield and Southwick.
Cowles Bridge was originally built in 1916 and reconstructed in 1951. Temporary repairs were made to the bridge in 1995. The current project is intended to widen Southwick Road and provide turning lanes onto City View Road and Mill Street, while also replacing a more-than-century-old bridge.