CONWAY — Construction on the Bardwell’s Ferry Bridge is slated to begin in the summer of 2027 and wrap up near the end of 2028, according to a recent project update from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
The Bardwell’s Ferry Bridge, which connects Conway and Shelburne, has been closed since August 2023 when a routine inspection revealed deterioration of the steel beams. The bridge repair project is projected to cost roughly $5.7 million, with the expense covered by MassDOT and the federal government.
Greg Mischel, the MassDOT project manager handling the Bardwell’s Ferry Bridge project, and Michael McCall, project manager with the engineering firm Stantec that was hired in September 2024 to handle designs, presented plans for the reconstruction and eventual reopening of the bridge during an information session at Conway Grammar School on Thursday night.
McCall shared that Stantec has nearly completed its final design, which is set to be done this winter. After that, the project will be put out to bid, with the contract for the bid specifying that construction will start in the summer of 2027. Construction is expected to take 18 months to complete, with it wrapping up near the end of 2028.
Several Conway and Shelburne residents expressed gratitude that the bridge will finally be repaired, while other residents shared their disappointment that the bridge won’t reopen until more than five years after it was first closed.
“This looks encouraging,” Conway resident Bob Van Gelder said. “I feel much more reassured after seeing this presentation.”
The Bardwell’s Ferry Bridge, which has a 198-foot span hanging 40 feet above the Deerfield River, was originally built in 1882 and underwent its last major rehabilitation in 1995, although it was briefly closed in 1997 when a truck damaged it. The deck of the bridge has been replaced in the past, but few other major alterations have been made since its construction.
There are already several detours in place so that motorists avoid the bridge during the closure. All construction will take place within the established right-of-way, with no temporary or permanent property acquisitions anticipated. McCall said this is expected to remain the case as the project reaches its final design.
Conway resident John Wholey asked what Stantec’s design plan is for drainage on the Conway side of the bridge, which he called “abysmal.” McCall said any water that would make its way past the catch basins would eventually make its way to the steel, however, he said that would not cause as much of a problem in the degradation of the material as it had in the past. He called the material “very durable.”
Multiple residents raised concerns over the possibility that the construction company that’s awarded the bid could sit on the project and not start construction within the established time frame. Both Mischel and McCall said that if that were to happen, they would award the bid to the next lowest company that submitted a proposal.
Because this bridge is considered historic, having been added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, the addition of bicycle lanes or pedestrian paths would not be feasible, according to McCall. Once construction is completed, the nature of the bridge won’t change, remaining one lane.
Shelburne resident Patricia Vohr asked if MassDOT plans to put up any signs before the entrance to the bridge on both sides, letting residents know it is one lane, while also deterring pedestrians from crossing it during the construction phase.
Mischel said the responsibility of signs falls to the two municipalities. Conway Police Chief Donald Bates noted that no one, pedestrians included, should be using the bridge at this time, adding that there should be a sign on the Conway side.
A pre-recorded version of Thursday’s presentation at Conway Grammar School can be found at tinyurl.com/4hnyh7hn for those who did not attend. Anyone with further questions for MassDOT can email MassDOTProjectManagement@dot.state.ma.us.
