TURNERS FALLS — As FirstLight Hydro Generating Co.’s annual drawdown for maintenance on the Turners Falls Dam and power canal begins on Sunday, Sept. 20, the Fifth Street Bridge and Canalside Rail Trail will be closed in the days that follow.
According to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Canalside Rail Trail between 11th and Depot streets will be closed between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. until Friday, Sept. 25. The rest of the trail will stay open during the drawdown.
Additionally, the state Department of Transportation announced that work will be done on the Fifth Street Bridge, also called the Green Bridge, which extends over the power canal. During the drawdown, MassDOT will be conducting inspections and any needed repairs on the bridge, with the closure beginning on Monday, Sept. 21, at 5 a.m. and running through the evening of Friday, Sept. 25.
A detour will be implemented, with travelers being asked to use the French King Highway (Route 2A) and the Turners Falls-Gill Bridge to enter and leave the village.