Massachusetts Is Closing Down A Route 8 Bridge In Clarksburg That May Impact Resident Commutes

It appears that when one bridge opens, another closes. Massachusetts will close the Red Mills Bridge on River Road for at least two months, as stated by Select Board Chair Daniel Haskins, Town Administrator Ronald Boucher, and Road Foreman Kyle Hurlbut. They discussed their concerns during a recent Zoom meeting with the state Department of Transportation.

Construction of a temporary bridge

According to the Iberkshires, the plan is to build a temporary bridge over the existing one, which will, unfortunately, close the road for two months. The temporary bridge will remain in place for about five years until a new one can be built.

Temporary Bridge and Concerns

The decision remains uncertain about whether East Road will remain open in that area, as the temporary bridge being installed must extend beyond the existing bridge. Haskins stated, "It may block off East Road, so we're hoping to maybe at least keep it one lane for getting up there, for one-lane traffic."

Other concerns included blocking the bridge, which also obstructs East Road and Daniels, impeding emergency services and buses. This would close the main highway into Vermont and force large trucks to detour through narrow residential streets. If the temporary bridge blocks East Road, fire trucks, for example, would need to travel from Cross Road to Middle Road, then to Henderson Road and East Road, or head south on River Road to Beaver Street in North Adams, then north on Union Street to reach Walker Street.

"MassDOT is working on a reroute plan for all tractor-trailer traffic and all the other vehicles that roll through there, how they're going to detour those up through like the Daniels Road, East Road area, because we can't divert anyone up Cross Road, because we have that one-lane bridge there, so that's not a reroute option." - Haskins

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The Final Outcome and Reasoning Behind the Bridge Closure

Haskins mentioned that rerouting traffic up Walker Street to Daniels Road and then to East Road would be the best way to reconnect with River Road at Mausert's four corners. However, it is still uncertain how a tractor-trailer would handle the narrow intersection at Walker and Daniels. If rerouted onto Middle Road, they would need to go through the steep Houghton and Franklin streets in North Adams.

MassDOT states that the Red Mills Bridge is "structurally deficient," with a deck and superstructure rating of 4. Constructed in 1970 using prestressed concrete, it shows significant wear. Additionally, the 11-foot-long steel bridge on Middle Road, also designated as structurally deficient despite having a fair-rated deck, was built in 1950.

Currently, there is no schedule for the closures and rerouting. Haskins and Hurlbut are communicating with MassDOT to keep East Road and at least one lane of the bridge open.