$1.6M Cheshire Bridge Replacement Goes to Bid in 2024
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The $1.6 million Sand Mill Road bridge replacement project is set to go out to bid in 2024.
The state Department of Transportation held a virtual public hearing on Thursday to showcase the design, which is now at 25 percent. The new bridge will extend the roadway width to 28 feet, which will allow the road to accommodate two 10-foot travel lanes and 2.4-inch shoulders.
"As you can see, there are existing conditions of the roadway that are deficient and is in need of improvement," said MassDOT project manager Hung Pham.
Pham said these changes should solve some of the current bridge's design issues. Additionally, the new bridge will be more structurally secure, as the current one has needed repairs in the past.
"The roadway width over the bridge is pretty narrow, and it's tight for a vehicle to pass by one another safely," he said. "The guard rail on the bridge is substandard, especially; it is not to current class standards, testing standards ... The level of pavement deteriorations and bridge joint failures can also be seen."
The bridge will be closed during construction, which Pham said will begin in 2025 if no delays occur. The proposed detour route, according to Pham, is the same one used the last time the bridge was closed.
The 25 percent design plan, if implemented as is, will impact several nearby properties. The town will have to pay for property and rights-of-way acquisition, and townspeople will need to vote on the project at a future town meeting.
"The current design plans indicate there are 10 permanent easements and eight temporary easements that will be required," said MassDOT Right of Way Agent Karen Axtell. "The property owners impacted by this project will be contacted by the town of Cheshire officials."
One Cheshire resident, Bill Craig, said he was concerned about speeding on the detour route while construction goes on.
"The last time the bridge was closed, the traffic up here and the speed was horrendous," he said. "And there's a lot of people who walk on that road, myself included. What is going to be done to protect us while this is going on?"
Town Administrator Jennifer Morse said she would look into the potential issues of the detour route.
"I wasn't aware of that situation. I will definitely be having a conversation with the Board of Selectmen, and I will speak with the police chief as well so we can see what we can do about deterring speeding during the detour," she said.
MassDOT first agreed to allocate money for the new bridge in 2018. It is planned to be funded through the 2023 Transportation Improvement Program for the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Tags: bridge project, MassDOT,
