CONWAY — Following a routine Massachusetts Department of Transportation inspection, the Bardwell’s Ferry Bridge, connecting Shelburne and Conway, has been closed for the foreseeable future.

MassDOT inspected the bridge Aug. 24 and found “deterioration of the weathering steel beams” on the Conway side of the bridge, as well as “significant deteriorated and section loss on the beams,” according to agency spokesperson John Goggin.

There is no set timeline to reopen the bridge, which is municipally owned. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to use Shelburne Falls Road or Route 116 as detours.

“MassDOT will work with the communities of Shelburne and Conway on plans for future repairs of the structure, which will require a design and funding,” Goggin wrote in an email. “As of now, there is not a set date to reopen the bridge to vehicular traffic.”

Pedestrians and bikes are still able to cross the bridge, but Goggin said MassDOT will continue to monitor the bridge’s condition and make future adjustments if needed.

Prior to the most recent inspection, the bridge was last inspected on July 20, 2021.

The Bardwell’s Ferry Bridge was originally constructed in 1882 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The 198-foot span of the bridge hangs 40 feet above the Deerfield River and serves as a crossing point from Shelburne into Deerfield. The deck of the bridge has been replaced in the past, but few other alterations are evident, according to documents filed with the National Register of Historic Places. 

When the documents were filed in 2000, the Bardwell’s Ferry Bridge was one of fewer than 50 bridges of this tress type surviving in the United States and one of only 10 remaining in Massachusetts.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com