WHATELY — Three bridges that carry traffic on Routes 5 and 10 over Interstate 91 in Whately and Hatfield are set for a revamp next summer.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a virtual meeting on July 9 to detail its plans to replace the “structurally deficient” bridge decks, as described by MassDOT Project Manager Joanne Ruddy. The first bridge carries State Road (Routes 5 and 10) over the interstate near the Whately Diner. The second bridge in Whately also lies on State Road near Lasalle Drive and Claverack Road, and the Hatfield bridge is on West Street.
According to Ruddy, the three bridges date back to the 1960s and show signs of their age, including deteriorating railings and joints, and vegetation growing through cracks in the pavement.
“The project goal is to prolong the lifespan of these bridges to maintain safe and reliable movement of travelers,” Ruddy explained.
To achieve this, MassDOT plans to reconstruct the wingwalls holding up the bridges, install guardrails and curbs, repair the girders and beams at the foundation, demolish and replace the bridge decks and fencing, clear the vegetation, repave and restripe the bridges, and build wheelchair-accessible pedestrian ramps.
Construction is set to start next summer and last until the end of the summer of 2030, with work on all three bridges occurring simultaneously.
During construction, one of the two lanes on the bridges will be closed temporarily. Depending on the bridge, traffic will either alternate via the remaining single lane or, in instances where space allows, vehicles may pass in both directions through the single lane. Northbound lanes on Interstate 91 will also see temporary closures and restrictions.
For the second stage of construction on the northern bridge near the Whately Diner, which is scheduled to be about nine months into the project, the “geometry” of the Exit 35 ramp on Interstate 91 northbound “won’t provide the proper truck turning radius needed to navigate over the bridge,” Ruddy explained. As a result, truck drivers who are hoping to get on Routes 5 and 10 or visit the truck plaza outside the Whately Diner will need to use Exit 30 instead and follow a detour.
The sidewalk along this northern bridge will also be temporarily removed to accommodate for vehicles passing over the bridge during the first phase of construction.
