Public Hearing Set on Pittsfield's Pontoosuc Bridge Project

03:15PM / Sunday, July 06, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state Department of Transportation is holding a public hearing on the replacement of the Pontoosuc Avenue bridge.

The in-person hearing will take place on Wednesday, July 9, at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers.

Located next to the former Harry's Supermarket, the bridge extends over the West Branch of the Housatonic River and provides access from North Street to Wahconah Street.

The proposed recommendation is a full replacement founded on deep foundations with the existing substructure removed in its entirety. The proposed bridge and approach roadways will provide a minimum of 5-foot sidewalks.

The bridge will be closed to all modes of transportation during construction. A temporary pedestrian bridge and vehicle detour are required to provide adequate accessibility accommodations.

The detour will use Briggs Avenue for through traffic between Wahconah Street and Pontoosuc Avenue.

The bridge has been in poor condition for a decade. The $9.8 million project will be funded through the 2026 Transportation Improvement Program for the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026 and take a year.

More information can be found here.

Tags: bridge project, MassDOT, public hearing,

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Wahconah Park Grandstand Leveled, Close to Shovel-Ready

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:01PM / Friday, October 23, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wahconah Park is expected to be shovel-ready next month, with just a couple of outstanding permits remaining.

The 75-plus-year-old grandstand was deemed unsafe in 2022 and demolished at the end of the summer. Now, the space where the large structure stood has been leveled, though some accessory buildings, such as the dugouts, remain.

Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath reported that the site, which "looks a lot different," will be shovel-ready in mid-November. From there, the city needs to do financial planning and sourcing.

"Again, I sound like a broken record, but it becomes a matter of identifying the funding strategy that will advance the project," McGrath told the Parks Commission on Tuesday.

In the meantime, the city hopes to return baseball to the site in 2027.

Planners determined that starting from square one is the best option with the grandstand; a $15 million design was last on the table.

McGrath reported that all but two permits approved through the Community Development Board and Zoning Board of Appeals remain. One relates to the use because stadiums are not zoned by-right in that area; Wahconah Park is considered "non-conforming" or "pre-existing," and a parking spot waiver.

He does not foresee the boards denying these permits.

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