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Bidding for repairs to the bridge on Grange Hall Road over Barton Brook is expected for this fall.

Dalton Bridge Eyed for $2.5M Reconstruction

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The town's lowest-rated bridge is slated for an approximately $2.5 million reconstruction project.
 
During the Select Board meeting on Monday it was announced that the town has been awarded a $1 million grant through the Municipal Small Bridge Program for the bridge on Grange Hall Road over Barton Brook, located near Patricia Avenue. 
 
The town's engineers estimated the total cost to complete is $2,335,000, however these estimates tend to run a little high, Town Manager Eric Anderson said. 
 
"It's an expensive project, there is no question but it does have to be done. That is the culvert the town has with the lowest rating in town," he said. 
 
If the town were to decide to delay the project, which would revoke its eligibility for the state grant, then it would be on the hook for the total cost.
 
When the town agrees to the grant, it is agreeing to this bridge project, Anderson said. 
 
According to the state website, the short span bridge, built in 1938, was inspected on July 20, 2025 and rated as structurally deficient. 
 
It was said that the town will need to allocate the remaining approximate 1,335,000 but this is the cheapest it will ever be because of the state grant. 
 
The town can allocate this funding through a combination of free cash and capital stabilization without having to go into short-term debt. This would need to be approved at a special town meeting, likely in September or October. The town has $1.49 million in Capital Stabilization.
 
According to project documentation, the anticipated timeline calls for the project to go out to bid in fall 2026, with a contractor expected to be selected during the winter of 2026-27 and construction beginning in spring 2027.
 
This grant award is reimbursement-based, similar to the Chapter 90 Program. Grant recipients may submit reimbursement requests as costs are incurred. 
 
"The replacement scheme for this project will be to take it from a twin pipe steel corrugated steel culvert to an actual box culvert with an open bottom," Anderson said. 
 
For practical purposes, it will be a prefabricated bridge, he said, meaning it is manufactured in a factory then shipped in pieces or modules to the construction site for final assembly. 
 
The entire existing structure will be demolished during the project. According to documentation on the project,  no existing drawings of the bridge are known to exist. 
 
However, based on portions of the structure observed, it consists of two 5-foot-diameter steel pipes approximately 70 feet long, positioned at a 45-degree angle beneath Grange Hall Road, project documentation says. 
 
It has masonry headwalls at both ends, supports a 21-foot-wide roadway with two travel lanes, and has W-beam guardrails on both sides. 
 
The project will consist of installing temporary traffic controls, erosion and sediment control,  a temporary utility structure, and control of water, the document said. 
 
Once demolished a substructure will be installed and protective riprap covered with 12 inches of natural streambed material will be placed, it said. 
 
Then there will be the installation of bridge units, construction of wingwalls, and modified third beam. Additionally existing utilities will be relocated, the document said. 
 
There will be a full-depth reconstruction along the approach roadway, installation of guardrail and other incidental work necessary to complete the proposed project, it said. 
 
This project will qualify the town for the federal local bridge program when it needs to be replaced or repaired a century from now,  which will be cheaper, Anderson said. 

Tags: bridge project,   

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Arrest Warrants Issued for Pittsfield Shooting

Staff reportsiBerkshires

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Police were granted arrest warrants for two people suspected to be responsible for the Aug. 16 shooting on Francis Avenue. 

Jason Wright, 41, and an unnamed juvenile are charged with assault and battery, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, and possession of a gun without an FID card or license to carry. 

On Aug. 16, near 211 Francis Ave., three individuals suffered gunshot wounds and were all transported to Berkshire Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. This is one of four gun violence incidents on city streets this summer. 

Police say two of the individuals who suffered gunshot wounds are the subjects of the arrest warrants.

"I first want to commend the Pittsfield Police Department on solving this case in just eight days. They, along with members of the Task Force who provided support when needed, worked around the clock to identify those responsible," District Attorney Timothy Shugrue wrote on Monday. 
 
The DA said he understands that Pittsfield remains on edge, and said he is fully committed to providing resources, including funding for overtime and State Police detective resources, to support the Pittsfield Police Department as it continues its active investigations into the June 18, Aug. 4t, and Aug. 16 shootings. 

"No stone will be left unturned. If you bring violence and guns to our county, you will be held responsible to the greatest extent of the law," he wrote. 

The first arrest warrant issued is for a juvenile. The juvenile is charged with:

  • Two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, to wit a firearm
  • Attempted murder
  • Discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling
  • Possession of a firearm in commission of a felony
  • Possession of a firearm without an FID card/license to carry
  • Possession of ammunition without an FID card/license to carry

The second arrest warrant is for Jason Wright, 41, with a last known address on Woodlawn Avenue. Wright is charged with:

  • Attempted murder
  • Assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, to wit a firearm
  • Two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, to wit a Firearm
  • Discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling
  • Possession of a firearm in commission of a felony
  • Possession of a firearm without an FID/LTC
  • Possession of ammunition without an FID/LTC

There have been four gun violence incidents in Pittsfield since mid-June, leaving one person dead and a total of seven injured. Additionally, a Lanesborough man is facing multiple charges for allegedly shooting a gun near homes and a road while intoxicated on Sunday. 

On June 18, a person died after being shot in the area of Tyler Street and Pleasure Avenue, and another person was injured. Following an extensive investigation, police on June 23 had an arrest warrant out for Terry Martizna, 35, on a charge of murder.

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