The bridge was built in 1952 over the Hoosic River.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The state has ordered the Brown Street bridge closed.
Residents were alerted the closure of the span that connects River Street to West Main Street by the city's CodeRed alert system around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The bridge is closed "indefinitely."
The bridge is blocked off on both sides though Brown Street is still accessible from West Main Street.
The 26-foot steel structure's poor condition is well known and it was listed with 19 other bridges in the Berkshires requiring repairs or replacement using funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. Brown Street is in line for nearly $1 million for superstructure repairs.
According to MassDOT's bridge inventory, the Brown Street bridge has a deck rating of 7 and a superstructure rating of 3. Bridges are deemed structurally deficient with a rating less than 4.
As of Tuesday, the bridge's information in the system had last been updated on Feb. 23.
MassDOT has had the bridge in preliminary design stage for rehabilitation since 2013 with an estimated project cost of $5.6 million.
The state Department of Transportation was expected to invest more than $3 billion in repairing bridges, addressing more than one-third of the structurally deficient bridge backlog. Last year, it had initiated more 146 bridge repair or replacement projects on 181 bridge structures.
Massachusetts has 444 bridges classified as structurally deficient, according to the National Bridge Inventory, and has identified more than $15 billion in repairs for 4,901 spans.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey confirmed on Tuesday that state inspectors had closed the bridge and said she would be able to speak on the bridge Wednesday.
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Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents
By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.
More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.
Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."
Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.
Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.
One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.
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This spring weekend, there are a variety of events in and around the Berkshires, including Spring Celebrations, music, cleanups, and more.
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More than 300 students from area high schools entered their work in 12th annual Teen Invitational at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. click for more
Backed by a $750,000 federal grant for a planning study, North Adams and Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art are looking to undo some of that damage.
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