NORTHAMPTON — Citing safety concerns, the state is advancing plans to replace an aging 84-year-old bridge on Old Springfield Road.
Located in Northampton near its border with Easthampton where Hulberts Pond meets the Oxbow of the Connecticut River, the bridge was initially constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1939. In 1991, temporary steel was placed over the existing bridge due to its poor condition. In 1998, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s initial plans for a replacement bridge ultimately fell through due to permitting issues, with the current project plan initiated in 2018.
At a recent public hearing, MassDOT officials said the $4.6 million project is expected to begin in 2025. Once construction begins, the bridge will be closed to vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Closing the bridge makes sense since it sees very little traffic normally, said Doug Peterson, vice president of Michael Baker International, the design consulting firm for the project.
“The second reason is this area floods a lot so it’s frequently closed, and the logistics of putting a temporary pedestrian/bike lane with flooding concerns would be very challenging,” he said.
Peterson also acknowledged that the nearby area is used for recreational purposes, such as fishing, and that the project may disrupt some of that outdoor activity.
“It won’t necessarily be the same as it was before,” he said. “On one side of the bridge, that area has been kind of destroyed almost by some of the cars parking there. And that wasn’t the original intent.”
According to MassDOT, the finished bridge will consist of one 12-foot travel lane with 2-foot shoulders for a total roadway width of 16 feet. There will be no sidewalks on the bridge or approaches, in keeping with the rest of the road.
During the bridge’s construction, a detour will be set up along Clapp Street and Easthampton Road.
In 2022, the bridge replacement project received $3.13 million in funding from the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker, part of a $1.74 billion investment of federal funds in 146 projects across the commonwealth.
The project is expected to submit its final design by January 2025, with bids being advertised in February 2025. Property owners who may be affected by the construction will be contacted by city officials regarding further details of the project.
Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.
