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Finishing touches are being put on the Holmes Road bridge, which is scheduled to reopen on Friday. The span has been one lane for four years and closed this summer to expedite work.

Holmes Road Bridge Expected to Open on Friday

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After years of anticipation, the Holmes Road bridge is on schedule for a Friday reopening.

Earlier this month, the city reported that the contractor has been actively working on-site to ensure that this deadline is met. Bridge deck waterproofing was installed on Aug. 14 and paving followed.

Currently, pavement can be seen on the structure.

"We understand the inconveniences this DOT project has caused and deeply appreciate your patience during this work," an update on the city website reads.

The bridge was reduced to one lane for four years after being found structurally insufficient and in need of a $3.5 million replacement of the overpass structure. This included a new superstructure over the Housatonic Rail line, a restored sidewalk, improved bicycle access, pavement and traffic barriers.

Northern Construction Service LLC was awarded the project and began abutment repairs under the bridge adjacent to the railroad. An access road was constructed to facilitate the transport of heavy equipment needed for the work.


 
Bridge work finally began on June 23 after prodding by state and local officials and the span was closed to through traffic this summer.

Traffic traveling southbound on Holmes Road is detoured toward Pomeroy Avenue, Crofut Street, and then to Route 7/20. Traffic traveling northbound is encouraged to utilize Route 7/20.

In partnership with the town of Lenox, the Pittsfield Fire Department is temporarily housing an additional crew of firefighters at the North Station in Lenox to cover the southern part of Holmes Road and the surrounding area.

A couple of public meetings, one in 2022 and one in June, were held to inform residents and abutters on the project while providing a platform to voice concerns.  

While residents were eager to have two lanes of traffic restored on the bridge, there were concerns about how it would affect traffic on the detour routes and residents in the area.

The expedited two-month closure was chosen to avoid years of bridge work.


Tags: bridge project,   

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Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at The Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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