MONTAGUE — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) plans to replace the one-lane bridge on North Leverett Road with a new two-lane bridge.
Engineer Michael Rieger explained in a virtual public hearing that the existing bridge dates back to 1939. According to Rieger, the bridge’s outer edges and beams show deterioration, and erosion has impacted the road and riverbanks due to a lack of catch basins.
Once replaced, the new bridge would span 54 feet, 12 feet wider than the existing bridge, and consist of concrete box beams, a steel railing and two new concrete abutments. MassDOT plans to replace the drainage structures of the bridge and the riprap — a layer of stones — along the banks of the Sawmill River to protect from scour damage and improve the flow of stormwater runoff.
Based on the timeline presented during Tuesday’s public hearing, designs will be finished in September before the project goes out to bid in June 2027. A notice to proceed with construction will be issued in the fall of 2027. Project Manager Ryan Wilcox said the exact duration dates of construction are uncertain given that the project is in the early design phases, but he expects to finish the work around the summer of 2029, given that bridge projects typically take two years to complete.
According to MassDOT’s estimates, the project will cost roughly $7.3 million, with the Federal Highway Administration funding 80% and MassDOT covering the remaining 20%.
According to Rieger, the bridge will remain open to drivers during construction with no detours necessary. Temporary signals instead of stop signs will control the one-lane traffic during construction. Temporary barriers, traffic drums and impact attenuators — barriers designed to absorb the impact of a vehicle in the event of a collision — will separate traffic flow from construction.
According to MassDOT Right of Way Agent Zac Feury, the town must acquire seven permanent easements and two temporary easements, based on the current design.
During public comment, abutters Karen Schweitzer and Matt Howard expressed concerns with temporary construction structures blocking their driveways. Rieger assured Howard that the bridge guardrails would not extend onto his driveway “on paper.”
“I’ve spent 50 years in construction, and on paper isn’t necessarily the way it goes, but just as long as it’s taken into account,” Howard replied.
In response to Schweitzer’s concern regarding access to her tenant’s driveway, Rieger said MassDOT plans to use the driveway to install the riprap along the riverbank. In response, Schweitzer said this temporary use would block her tenant’s driveway, leading her to lower the rent. She asked if she and her husband would receive compensation for this drop.
“We shouldn’t have to be responsible for that loss of income,” Schweitzer said.
Feury clarified that MassDOT’s designs must not block access to residents’ homes for long periods of time, and Wilcox said he and Rieger will look into alternatives to maintain the tenant’s driveway access.
Wilcox also told attendees that driveways that are impacted by the design will be repaired and regraded.
After Schweitzer asked if the engineers plan to remove “old growth trees,” Wilcox said the draft of the plans does not involve tree removal.
Individuals with the Montague Center Fire Department also tuned into the meeting to “[plant] the idea” of having a dry fire hydrant at the bridge and ask whether the new bridge will accommodate the heavy weight of the department’s fire trucks.
Engineer Shu Tan said the bridge will meet federal requirements and will therefore withstand the weight of the fire trucks as long as they are “typical standard vehicles.” According to the Federal Highway Administration, the gross weight limit for emergency vehicles is 86,000 pounds. The typical fire truck weighs between 20,000 and 40,000 pounds, reads the International Fire & Safety Journal.
“If it has not been an issue in the past, it won’t be an issue in the future,” Tan replied.
To close the meeting, Wilcox stressed that Tuesday’s hearing represented the “first step” of communication between MassDOT and the town. With plans still in the early design phase, more hearings will follow as the project progresses.
