Fifth Street Bridge in Turners Falls to be closed through Oct. 18

The Fifth Street Bridge over the canal in Turners Falls, otherwise known as the Green Bridge, will be closed 24/7 from Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Friday, Oct. 18.

The Fifth Street Bridge over the canal in Turners Falls, otherwise known as the Green Bridge, will be closed 24/7 from Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Friday, Oct. 18. STAFF FILE PHOTO

Staff Report

Published: 10-07-2024 11:51 AM

Modified: 10-07-2024 2:42 PM


TURNERS FALLS — The Fifth Street Bridge over the canal, otherwise known as the Green Bridge, will be closed 24/7 from Tuesday, Oct. 8, through Friday, Oct. 18.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the closure is required for crews to perform necessary steel repairs on the bridge.

“MassDOT is taking advantage of the extended canal drawdown to make necessary repairs that were identified during a recent annual inspection that was done at the beginning of the drawdown,” Montague Town Administrator Walter Ramsey wrote in an email, referencing FirstLight Hydro Generating Co.’s annual drawdown of the power canal, which has been extended to approximately Oct. 20 for a maintenance project of its own. Ramsey continued, “The nature of the repairs are below the deck and thus must be done when the canal is drawn down. The work will allow the bridge to remain open while the comprehensive bridge replacement project slated for 2027 is developed.”

MassDOT intends to undertake a $60 million bridge replacement project that was approved by the state in 2022 and is anticipated to be funded through the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ Transportation Improvement Plan, according to MassDOT’s project database. The mass replacement will include the White Bridge, the cross-canal Green Bridge and Sixth Street’s Bailey Bridge.

Ramsey said the town appreciates the public’s patience during the immediate repairs to the Green Bridge.

“This bridge repair by MassDOT as well as FirstLight’s repairs to the canal dike just highlight that, as a community, we are managing a legacy of aging infrastructure,” he wrote. “Ensuring public safety is the No. 1 priority.”

Traffic will be detoured across the Turners Falls-Gill Bridge to Route 2, and back to Route 2A on the Greenfield side of the bridge. Drivers may also use the General Pierce Bridge to travel over the Connecticut River between Greenfield and Montague.

Appropriate signs and messaging will be in place to guide drivers through the work area. MassDOT advises drivers traveling through the affected area to expect delays, reduce speed and use caution.

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