West Street Bridge
Photo credit: Google Maps
SPRINGFIELD — A major thoroughfare between Springfield and Ludlow needs to undergo repairs after its sudden closure on Aug. 17.
In an announcement to the public, the city of Springfield said that the West Street Bridge will be closed to traffic for the foreseeable future due to issues with a large “bump” on the Springfield side of the bridge.
According to the city, the bump was caused by an expansion joint issue.
“Earlier this summer, the city of Springfield hired VHB to inspect the structure and to determine the cause of the ‘bump,’” the city said. “Based upon their initial inspection the structure itself was deemed safe; however, it appears that typical bridge segment expansion along the structure is being hindered.”
DPW Director Chris Cignoli said weight restrictions placed on the Route 21 Putts Bridge and a significant increase in heavy vehicles this summer have exacerbated the problems on the West Street Bridge.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation directed them to close the 87-year-old bridge after an inspection was conducted on Aug. 17, according to a post by the Ludlow Police Department.
In the announcement, LPD said the bridge will be closed indefinitely until “concerns are addressed” and advised motorists to seek other routes.
They noted that further inquiries relating to the closure should be directed at MassDOT.
“We have been monitoring this issue throughout the summer in hopes of keeping the bridge open until the repairs could be completed, however, we reached the point where that is not possible any longer,” Cignoli said in a statement.
Reminder Publishing reached out to MassDOT for comment on the Aug. 17 inspection and what the current timeline is for repairs. In response, MassDOT spokesperson John Goggin said that Springfield will be responsible for repairs.
He did not offer any type of timeline in his statement.
“Following a bridge inspection on Sunday, [Aug.] 17, MassDOT directed the city of Springfield and the town of Ludlow to close the West Street Bridge,” Goggin said. “The bridge is municipally owned, and the city of Springfield will be responsible for making repairs. Plans for repairs will be submitted to MassDOT for review.”
Springfield’s announcement offers a general game plan for what’s next with the bridge. According to Cignoli, VHB has already developed proposed solutions for repair, but scenarios need to be confirmed through a more detailed underside bridge inspection, which is expected to occur Aug. 25.
After that inspection is completed, Springfield said it will submit repair scenarios to MassDOT for their review and approval. The city will then complete those repairs before reopening the bridge for traffic.
Currently, there is no specific reopening date, but Springfield alluded to a two-to-three-month timeline.
“The city of Springfield will work with MassDOT on expediting the repairs as soon as possible, with the hopes of completing the repairs in the next couple of months,” the city said in its announcement.
