ATHOL — Work on the Exchange Street bridge will begin Monday, May 20 and it will be closed to all pedestrian and vehicular traffic through the end of the year, according to Department of Public Works Superintendent Doug Walsh.
Walsh said a pre-construction meeting was held at the site Thursday regarding the $2.64 million project with MIG Corporation Inc., a marine and bridge construction company. Traffic will be detoured from Exchange Street to Crescent Street or Chestnut Hill Avenue to get to the northern side of the river.
The Exchange Street Bridge was temporarily closed in January of 2018 after being damaged by an ice mass that snapped off an ice jam upstream on Millers River. The chunk of ice smashed into brackets securing a 10-inch water main hanging under the bridge. Three new steel brackets were installed and others were repaired, to secure the water main, and the bridge reopened in April 2018.
At the March 2018 annual town meeting, by a vote of 134-6, a debt exclusion was approved that included $2.64 million for the bridge, $280,000 for the Pleasant Street sidewalk reconstruction and another $575,000 for the replacement of the roof at the DPW barn.
Walsh reported that the weight limit on Pinedale Bridge, located in the section commonly known as “Drewville,” on Pinedale Avenue (which becomes Tully Road at the Orange town line) has been reduced to under 3 tons, following inspection by Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MASS DOT). MASS DOT trucks were seen on site on Friday morning.
“We noticed a 1 ½-foot round hole had developed in the decking and placed a steel plate over it and contacted MASS DOT for an inspection,” said Walsh, noting, the reinforced steel bar of the bridge remains in place.
The bridge is jointly owned by Athol and Orange. Because a few places looked similarly compromised, more steel plates were laid over the section, and the bridge reopened to traffic with the reduced weight limit.
“It’s three tons or under,” said Walsh, “basically small trucks and passenger cars.” No timeline was provided on plans to repair the bridge.
Walsh noted work on the $320,000 Pleasant Street sidewalk reconstruction project will also begin within the next two weeks.
“The road will remain open, but there will be construction equipment in the road, and police details in place,” said Walsh. He estimated the work will be completed in two months.
The contract was awarded to A. Martins and Sons Construction of Ludlow. The reconstruction of the sidewalk will be between Main Street and the school campus. The existing concrete section of sidewalk will be replaced with concrete. A new extension will be added to the current length of sidewalk, which will be constructed of bituminous concrete. A grass strip between the sidewalk and street will also be installed.
The sidewalk will be installed on the “odd” numbers side of the street, and a large formal crosswalk for pedestrians’ safe crossing will be installed inside the 20 MPH school zone.
Walsh said the Athol DPW crew will do all the prep work, and the job will be completed by repaving of the length of Pleasant Street, starting from the Main Street intersection.