Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 12/19/2023
RUSSELL – With the state Department of Transportation detouring semitrailer trucks weighing over 40 tons off the Massachusetts Turnpike’s Russell-Montgomery Bridge through downtown Westfield and onto Route 20, for the next two years, those living in the Hilltowns will be navigating the narrow two-lane road with some of the biggest trucks on the road.
There was virtually no warning to the city, towns and communities along Route 20 by MassDOT before the detour went into effect on Monday, Dec. 5.
Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe learned of the detour the day before, and as of last week a Chester town official told The Westfield News he had seen the detour signs along Route 20, but wasn’t sure why they were installed.
Prohibited from crossing the bridge that crosses the Westfield River are semitrailer trucks over 40 tons; garbage trucks over 25 tons; and two-axle trucks over 20 tons, according to MassDOT.
Eastbound overweight trucks must now leave the turnpike at Exit 10 in Lee. Those headed westbound get off at Exit 41 in Westfield. The detour route through Westfield follows North Elm and Elm streets (Routes 10 and 202), and Franklin Street and Russell Road (Route 20).
The information provided by MassDOT about the detour initially indicated that it expected about 10 to 15 trucks a day to be detoured based on special permits and tolling data.
However, MassDOT quickly pulled that estimate back.
Since the detour took effect, MassDOT Highway Division Traffic Engineers have been monitoring the truck traffic along the detour route.
It has also been working with the Trucking Association of Massachusetts to get the message out about the weight restrictions and offering trucking companies assistance in re-sizing loads on trucks that will allow them to continue using I-90.
In addition, according to an alert on Mass511.com about the detour, trucks over the limit will not be permitted to use the detour between 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. each day.
Between Lee and Westfield, detoured trucks must navigate the two-lane Route 20 through Russell, Huntington, Chester and Becket.
According to MassDOT, the detour will add six miles to the trip.
There are no turnpike exits in the 30 miles between Lee and Westfield, the longest exit gap on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
The detour will be in effect through 2025, according to a document released by MassDOT. The agency did not have a more specific timeline for the bridge repair project.