​​​Brookside Road Bridge Closure

The sudden closure of the Brookside Road bridge in Great Barrington is entirely unacceptable and has disrupted the lives of South County residents. I want to clarify how I learned about this, the actions I’ve taken, and my plans moving forward.​

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Alarmed by the May 2, 2024 decision to close the bridge, the Selectboard asked Department of Public Works (DPW) Superintendent Joe Aberdale to participate in a discussion of the state of Great Barrington’s bridges and infrastructure during our July 30 priority planning meeting. He reported that the most recent inspection of the Brookside Road bridge, conducted three years ago, rated its condition as satisfactory to poor (4-6) on a safety scale of 0-9, with 1-3 indicating serious to imminent failure. In response to these findings, the superintendent informed us that the DPW had initiated plans to purchase, rather than lease, a temporary bridge for Division Street, with the intention of relocating it to Brookside Road once a permanent bridge at Division Street was in place. Surveys and soil borings had already been conducted in preparation. However, the installation of the temporary bridge on Division Street took longer than anticipated, and unfortunately, the Brookside Road bridge failed before this plan could be executed.

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According to MassDOT, the estimated total contract cost for the replacement of the Brookside Road bridge is $10.9 million, with the estimated total federal participating construction cost at $11.6 million. The timeline for completion is projected to be close to eight years, with design and engineering work taking four to five years and bidding and construction taking an additional two to two-and-a-half years.

The closure of Brookside Road is compounded by issues with two other failing bridges with permits pending, Cottage Street which is closed, and Division Street, which is a critical passage for Housatonic residents and essential for Taft Farms’ survival. According to MassDOT, all three are currently scheduled for replacement within the next five years, with state funding secured. Alongside these challenges, crises like the Housatonic Water Works (HWW) situation have kept Town Hall extremely busy. 

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Since the closure of Brookside Road Bridge, I have met with affected residents, including Eisner Camp Director Paul Isserles, to address their concerns and offer assistance. The town has also developed an emergency plan with the Sheffield Fire Department since their station is closer to the detour route. ​I have also been in close contact with Town Manager Mark Pruhenski about pursuing additional state and federal funding for our roads and bridges. Mark met with Senator Warren’s office to emphasize the importance of replacing the Brookside Road bridge, highlighting it as a top priority for the town and stressing the necessity of federal funding. On my end, I’ve been actively exploring various options available to the town, including Congressional Directed Spending (CDS), which allows members of Congress to earmark federal funds for specific projects. Additionally, I am leveraging Congressional Research Services (CRS) to identify further federal funding opportunities.

Moving Forward

I am actively collaborating with the Brookside Neighbors group to improve communication between local officials and those most impacted by the Brookside Road bridge closure. I’ve also met with the Director of Camp Eisner and the CEO of Jane Iredale Cosmetics to address concerns about the effects of the closure and detours on the local workforce and economy. I am committed to urging state agencies to expedite the bridge’s replacement and exploring every possible avenue to accelerate this process such as the state's Accelerated Bridge Program. While relief may not come as quickly as we’d like, we must pursue the fastest timeline available. In addition, I will advocate for immediate funding to address the hazardous conditions on East Sheffield Road, where narrow lanes and blind spots pose serious safety risks. My efforts will focus on securing state and federal resources, including those identified through the CRS, and advocating for Congressional Directed Spending (CDS) in partnership with our senators and congressmen in Washington.

Long-Term Strategy: Advocacy and Action

Despite being the largest individual geographic district in the state, the 3rd Berkshire District receives the smallest allocation of state resources for infrastructure. Most of the funding for bridges and roads, commonly referred to as “Chapter 90” funding, is disproportionately allocated to larger cities and the Mass Pike. This inequitable distribution of funds to our Berkshire communities is unacceptable and must be rectified. As your State Representative, I will prioritize our community’s infrastructure needs from day one and will advocate for a fairer allocation of state funds to ensure our district receives its rightful share. We must learn from the past and take proactive measures to prevent similar situations from occurring again.

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Did You Know?

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Structurally Deficient Bridges are a Widespread Problem Across the State

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According to the Department of Transportation (MassDOT) database of nearly 8,000 state- and municipally-managed bridges, there are 644 structurally deficient bridges in Massachusetts — one-in-12 — and another 218 for which the condition is listed as “unknown.” The designation as “structurally deficient” means that at least one major weight-bearing component of these structures has serious problems and needs repair or replacement. About one-in-nine bridge crossings in Massachusetts occur on a structurally deficient bridge, and the average Massachusetts resident lives 1.7 miles from one. Climate change, heavier vehicles, and an aging stock of bridges present more challenges for the future, and the current lack of long-term funding makes it likely that more bridges will fall into worse disrepair.

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The State of Disrepair is Worse in Our Region

There are 1,116 bridges in the Berkshires & Hill Towns, of which 91 (7.5 percent) are structurally deficient. On average Berkshire residents in the region live 1.6 miles from the nearest structurally deficient bridge. The region’s 16 closed bridges are the highest percentage of closures in the state. Similarly, the 123 bridges posted for limited load or capacity represent the highest percentage (10 percent) for any region. At the end of last year, the MassDOT’s Performance and Asset Management Advisory Council reported to the Legislature that with the depletion of the $3 billion in one-time funds raised by the state’s Accelerated Bridge Program last decade, Massachusetts can expect further deterioration of our bridges. They found, “Massachusetts is 4th worst in the nation for the percentage of poor bridges (by area) . . . . Additional bridge investment is needed to address the clear needs to core transportation infrastructure . . . Investment is necessary to preserve our current infrastructure so that it may continue to serve the Commonwealth in a resilient and sustainable future.” (Source: https://massbudget.org/2022/08/30/a-bridge-too-far/)

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Great Barrington's Aging and Failing Infrastructure

 

Great Barrington has 22 bridges, 11 of which are the town’s responsibility. While the state and federal governments provide funding for bridge rehabilitation or replacement, the process is lengthy. Like many towns, Great Barrington faces significant infrastructure challenges. Currently, two bridges over the Housatonic River are closed, and another in Housatonic is supported by a temporary bridge. Despite recent investments, decades of deferred maintenance are catching up with us. With over 90 miles of roads, keeping up with necessary paving and base work is an ongoing struggle. Additionally, climate change has intensified the need for stormwater drainage improvements. Although progress has been made, it is not happening quickly enough. The town has aggressively pursued and secured grant funding for road and bridge projects. For example, Route 71 and a portion of Route 23 were recently resurfaced, with sidewalks installed at no cost to the town. MassDOT is funding the replacement of the three closed bridges, and we are seeking nearly $5 million in grant funding for improvements to the South Main Street corridor.

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SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES

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Berkshire Regional Planning Commission Bridge "State of Repair" Update May, 2024

Engineers Assessment of Great Barrington Bridges

MASS DOT Great Barrington Bridge Ratings 

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