NEW SALEM — Rehabilitation of the historic Keystone Bridge near the Gate 30 parking area off Route 122 began last week, after the nonprofit that is dedicated to increasing public awareness and appreciation of the Quabbin Reservoir raised sufficient funds.
The stone arch bridge was built by Adolphus Porter in 1866, the year after the Civil War ended. The volunteer-run nonprofit Friends of Quabbin raised $62,000 in donations over three months to stabilize the structure by fixing the spandrel, the vertically curved space underneath it.
Paul Godfrey, Friends of Quabbin’s treasurer, said he expects the work to last about two or three more weeks, barring inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances.
“We’ve been working very hard to get this done,” he said in an interview. “It’s a fairly large financial commitment for a small organization.”
The site is closed to the public during this stabilization work.
The damage to the bridge was spotted by two people — coincidentally named Janice and Randy Stone — in the summer of 2021, while the two searched for unusual ferns along the trail that uses the bridge to span the Swift River’s middle branch. The two noticed the portion of the bridge leading to the actual arch had collapsed, with several large boulders rolling down toward the stream.
According to the fall 2024 edition of Quabbin Voices, the Friends’ newsletter, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) was notified and sent its contracted engineering firm to assess the bridge. The assessment reportedly presented three options — close the bridge and try to find an expert to rebuild it, demolish and remove it, or do nothing. In the spring of 2024, DCR removed the trees thought to be contributing to the bridge’s deteriorating condition, which by then was dire.
The Friends of Quabbin’s board of directors met in an emergency session and approved the $60,000 to stabilize the bridge. They also paid a bridge professional $15,000 to estimate the cost of repairing a sagging side of the bridge.
Curtis Construction Services out of Brookfield is handling the stabilization work in collaboration with freestone masonry specialist Michael Weitzner from Brattleboro, Vermont. Project oversight is being provided by DCR’s Division of Water Supply Protection.
According to the Friends of Quabbin, DCR is coordinating with the New Salem Conservation Commission and the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program to ensure that the project upholds environmental protection standards.
“This is about more than just saving a bridge,” Godfrey said in a statement. “It’s about protecting our shared heritage while respecting the natural beauty and ecological importance of the Quabbin and its watershed.”
Godfrey said photos and updates on the project will be posted regularly at friendsofquabbin.org/news-and-events/keystone-bridge, as well as on the Friends of Quabbin Facebook page at facebook.com/foquabbin.
The most recent Facebook update, posted Monday, detailed how the work began on Oct. 15, when erosion control devices, including mats for the equipment to move across and straw wattles to keep the soil from washing into the stream, were put in place. The erosion control measures then needed to be reviewed by the Conservation Commission. On Friday, workers removed a few trees that were in the way of the main place for the excavator to work, after which point rock and gravel began to arrive, along with some bigger equipment.
Donations, which are tax-deductible, are still being accepted. Checks should be made out to Friends of Quabbin Inc. and sent to Friends of Quabbin, Quabbin Administration Building, 485 Ware Road, Belchertown, MA 01007.
