HAMPDEN — During the Aug. 21 Hampden Conservation Commission meeting, representatives from engineering firm Howard Stein Hudson presented an update to the board on the East Brook Bridge replacement project.
During the update, representatives Christopher Lyman, lead civil engineer, and Steve Tyler, principal in charge of the project, explained that the project’s design plan will be complete in six to eight months and that funding still needs to be secured for construction but that “the hope of the town is it goes to construction within the next couple years.”
The East Brook Bridge replacement project has been ongoing for three years after it was initiated through a Municipal Vulnerability Program grant, Lyman stated. During this process, the Howard Stein Hudson representatives inspected 32 examples of infrastructure in Hampden and helped to construct a plan on what structures were of the highest priority to update.
From this analysis, which was completed over 2022 and 2023, the replacement of East Brook Bridge was identified as a priority, leading to the commencement of the project, Lyman and Tyler said. Since this identification, the representatives have worked to create a design plan for the replacement of the bridge. The project’s Notice of Intent was officially submitted at the Aug. 21 meeting.
The current bridge, located on Main Street between Hampden Pump Station and Laughing Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, is 26 feet by 32 feet. Due to two failing trusses, the bridge is considered structurally deficient, Lyman stated. He explained that if the bridge was not replaced, it would potentially cause damage to the surrounding area as well as could cause “the loss of the roadway.”
“The project is designed in a manner [for impacts] to be minimized as much as possible,” Lyman said. He noted that due to the nearby wildlife sanctuary the area is considered a “priority habitat to rare species” and that the area has experienced flooding in the past.
Additionally, Tyler emphasized that construction of the replacement bridge is not expected to impact the water levels of East Brook, stating that the center stream of the water source will be maintained during the construction process.
Once the project is complete, the bridge’s abutments will be replaced, the bridge will be widened by 6 feet, sidewalks and curbs will be added on both sides, the bridge will have additional stabilization and 1,855 cubic feet of flood storage will be added, Lyman said.
In accordance with state and federal standards, the new bridge will be able to sustain a 25-year storm, Tyler stated.
At the Aug. 21 meeting, the Conservation Commission voted to issue an order of conditions, which is the next step in the preparation for the project. Potential conditions could include requiring a turtle protection plan and dewatering plan, which were recommended by the Howard Stein Hudson representatives, as well as a mandatory regular review of the storm barriers, as suggested by Conservation Commission member Wenda Luff.
Once the project officially begins, it is expected to take between 18-24 months to complete, Lyman said. During that time, the bridge will be minimized to a one-lane crossing with the open lane switching once one side of the bridge is complete and temporary traffic signals on both ends of Main St.
During the next 21 days from the meeting, the Conservation Commission will finalize and submit the order of conditions to Howard Stein Hudson, Administrative Assistant Bonnie Geromini said.
