Construction crews with EP&L Construction Inc., have started the demolition of the decommissioned Cowles Bridge, south of downtown Westfield. The demolition is part of Phase II of the project that is expected to be completed in the fall of 2025.
Reminder Publishing photo by Cliff Clark
WESTFIELD — After asbestos pipe jackets were discovered on the now-decommissioned Cowles Bridge, the state’s Department of Transportation announced the bridge’s replacement project would be briefly delayed earlier this month.
“The discovery of asbestos containing material is not unusual but [was] not known prior to testing,” said John Goggin, a spokesperson for MassDOT.
After the pipe jackets covered with the cancer-causing material was discovered, the project’s contractor, EP&L Construction Inc., was required to create an abatement plan, and submit it to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection for review and approval, which it did, Goggin said in an email.
With the DEP’s approval in hand, EP&L spent about two weeks safely removing the pipes, he said. Now the contractor will begin preparations to demolish the old bridge, which expected to be completed by the end of September, he said. The bridge carries Routes 10 and 202 over the Little River, south of downtown Westfield. It connects to Southwick Road and South Maple Street.
The additional cost to remove the piping was covered by the contingency fund built into the project’s budget for unanticipated overruns, Goggin said.
Once the old bridge is removed, the project will enter Phase II, Goggin said. That phase consists of three stages.
The first stage is to reconstruct the Mill Street and City View Road approaches to Route 202. Mill Street will be widened to three lanes near the bridge, providing separate right- and left-turn lanes for traffic coming from Mill Street. A crosswalk will also be installed at the entrance to Mill Street.
The approach of City View Road, which was closed in December 2023, to Southwick Road will also be rebuilt. It will have two lanes in egress and ingress to Southwick Road, and a crosswalk.
With the old bridge out of the way, EP&L will start Stage II of Phase II, which is the construction of the north side of the replacement bridge, which will be used for southbound traffic once completed. It will include bicycle lanes on both sides of the bridge.
Only about half of the new bridge has been completed. Currently, traffic in both directions is using the southern span; when the project is complete, that half will be used for northbound traffic only.
Stage III, the final step of Phase II, will involve construction of final approach work, striping, resurfacing, traffic signal installation, signage, drainage and utilities, according to the construction drawings.
Goggin said the $14.2 million project remains “on budget” and the completion date remains the fall of 2025. He said there will be no changes to the current traffic pattern through the end of the year.
The Cowles Bridge was originally built in 1916, with the superstructure reconstructed in 1951, and temporary repairs made in 1995.
