SOUTHWICK – DPW Director Randy Brown has awarded a bid for the Shurtleff Brook project to Gill Engineering out of Needham, Massachusetts.
The Shurtleff Brook crossing is a 100-year old bridge on North Loomis Street that is 16 ft. long and 20 ft. wide. According to Brown, the current bridge is not salvageable for several reasons, including that the bridge is so narrow that it can’t accommodate two travel lanes without putting vehicles or pedestrians in danger.
Shurtleff Brook bridge. (WNG File Photo)
The design of the new bridge will be 19 ft. long and 32 ft. wide and the road will be realigned and widened, allowing proper accommodation for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
On March 27, the town received a $500,000 grant from Mass DOT’s Municipal Small Bridge program. The Mass DOT Small Bridge program accepts bridges that are municipally owned, 10 to 20 feet in length, and are being replaced or trying to be preserved.
Brown also pointed out that another $325,000 will be used towards the project from money approved by the town at the last annual town meeting.
Brown will be working with Gill Engineering to acquire the rest of the proper permits in order to progress with the project.
“Our hope is to have this under construction next year,” said Brown.
