Two car crashes last month on a damaged bridge on the Easthampton-Southampton border is highlighting a monthslong dispute between the two municipalities about who owns the bridge and is responsible for its repair.
Located on Pomeroy Meadow Road running over the North Branch of the Manhan River, the bridge has had orange barriers blocking one of lanes with stop signs on both sides for many months.
In both crashes, drivers struck and destroyed some of the barriers. The first crash occurred on Nov. 5 when a person from Pelham driving north on Pomeroy Meadow Road drove into the barriers before coming to a stop.
The police report describes a person telling a responding officer that “three other motor vehicles crashed the same way as they did, but they left prior to police arrival,” and there were people moving the barriers.
The individual was not injured, and was charged with three misdemeanors — operating under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and negligent operation of a motor vehicle, according to the report.
The second crash occurred on Nov. 19 when an individual driving north on Pomeroy Meadow failed to stop at the stop sign and drove into the barriers before coming to a stop. The 75-year-old driver was suffering from cognitive impairment and not injured or arrested, according to Southampton Police Chief Ian Illingsworth.
The barriers were replaced after each accident, and as of Wednesday, Dec. 3, have since had flashing lights installed on them as another precaution.
Easthampton Department of Public Works Director Greg Nuttelman said in an email that an inspection in fall 2024 detected deterioration of the timber piling supporting the bridge. As a result, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) required the temporary traffic control to be installed and one lane of the bridge to be closed.
He said when the county government dissolved in 1999, no formal ownership of the town-line bridges — including the Pomeroy Meadow Road and Torrey Street bridges — were established.
Easthampton asked city solicitor Mark Tanner to give an opinion of ownership and after his title research, Tanner came to the opinion that the bridges lie entirely within the limits of Southampton and that Easthampton has no responsibility for funding the repairs.
Southampton Town Administrator Scott Szczebak said they disagree with this. “We got their opinion and we are doing our own research.”
Szczebak and Nuttelman both said that Southampton was notified of this recommendation several months ago and currently the lane closure is indefinite. Southampton’s legal council is currently doing their own research over ownership of the bridge.
Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby said the dispute occurred before he became mayor and is trusting that Tanner’s assessment of the bridge is accurate.
With aging infrastructure across the state and specifically in Easthampton, Derby said his priority is to work with MassDOT to assess bridges that “we know” are in the city that require repairs.
“It highlights the aging infrastructure that we have in Massachusetts and the support we need from the state to address what needs to be resolved,” Derby said.