MONTAGUE — The General Pierce Bridge is set to open to one lane of traffic by the end of the week, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced on Friday.

“I think this is the first step toward re-establishing an important convenience,” Montague Town Administrator Steve Ellis said. “I’m elated that it’s happening.”

The bridge has been closed for a multi-year construction project since April 26, 2021. The $13.7 million rehabilitation of the bridge is designed to keep it standing for another 25 years. The project is being carried out by Northern Construction Service and is mainly focused on rebuilding the deck and replacing some of the steel support structure below. Full two-lane reopening is slated for late March, MassDOT reaffirmed Friday.

Temporary traffic signals will be deployed while the bridge is open to one lane, according to MassDOT. The installation of the temporary signal system and other traffic control devices will begin early in the week, with the tentative reopening of the single lane scheduled for the end of the week. The alternating lane of traffic will restore the system that was in place prior to the rehabilitation project.

“A limited opening is better than what we’ve been dealing with,” Greenfield Mayor Roxann Wedegartner said, noting that it “certainly has been an inconvenience” for Greenfield and Montague residents to lose the way of transit altogether. “It’s progress. I’m happy to see it.”

Ellis commented that in addition to the reopening being “a matter of convenience” for commuters looking to cross the Connecticut River, it is also “a matter of safety,” considering use of the General Pierce Bridge will allow first responders to have improved access to their service areas.

According to MassDOT, remaining work that needs to be finished before the bridge’s full reopening includes the installation of a pedestrian lighting system, painting and the removal of the below-deck scaffolding system.

Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-930-4231 or jmendoza@recorder.com.

]]>