TURNERS FALLS — Thursday marked the final chapter of what Senate President Stanley Rosenberg calls one of the most amazing stories of his legislative career.
State and local dignitaries gathered on the Montague side of the Turners Falls-Gill Bridge, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the culmination of its rehabilitation.
Rosenberg said he was driving across the bridge in 1995 when he noticed it needed a paint job.
“And I said, ‘This is no way to enter the downtown of Turners Falls, the five villages of this community,” he told a crowd of on-lookers. “Because when you get over that bridge, you have a beautiful New England downtown that has improved so much.”
A phone call got the work started but deeper structural issues were soon revealed. Jacquelyn Goddard, communications director for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, said weight restrictions were put on the bridge, which carries Avenue A over the Connecticut River to Route 2.
Montague selectmen said the bridge was closed for rehabilitation from March 2010 to the fall of 2013, just in time for the Franklin County Pumpkinfest that year, although work continued for another three years.
The state added wider travel lanes for vehicles and improved bicycle accessibility. Also, the roadway approaches to the bridge and the existing steel truss structure on the bridge were restored and a new traffic signal was installed at the intersection of Route 2. The project was completed on Aug. 19 and cost $48 million.
State Highway Administrator Thomas J. Tinlin said the bridge will “add to the breathtaking scenery out here in this portion of Massachusetts.”
Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said there are hundreds of people, including designers, painters and community members to thank, and State Rep. Stephen Kulik said the bridge is important to the local economy and public safety.
You can reach Domenic Poli at:
dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 258 On Twitter: @DomenicPoli