SOUTHWICK – The Southwick DPW announced that North Loomis Street had re-opened on Friday. The central location of the Shurtleff Brook Bridge project, North Loomis Street is now open with one lane and a police officer on scene to assists oncoming traffic.
In an interview on August 19, Dick Grannells, Special Assistant to the DPW Director,said that the road was expected to re-open on Friday, with the paving taking place on Thursday.
North Loomis Street is now open to oncoming traffic. (Photo from Dick Grannells)
The Southwick DPW closed North Loomis Street from July 30 to August 1, and then again on August 6 until the paving was finished.
This week the contractor has to loam and seed the roadside and put a special guardrail in for the Shurtleff Brook Bridge.
“By the end of the week they (contractor) should be pretty well wrapped up,” said Grannells.
The Shurtleff Brook Bridge project consisted of replacing the 16 ft. long and 20 ft. wide 100-year old bridge with a new 19 ft. long and 32 ft. wide bridge. The project also includes realigning and widening the road as well as having the proper accommodation for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Last March, the town received a $500,000 grant from Mass DOT’s Municipal Small Bridge Program. Mass DOT accepts bridges into the program that are municipally owned, 10 to 20 feet in length, and are being replaced or trying to be preserved.
In December of 2017, the Select Board signed off on the $116,000 contract for Gill Engineering to do the engineering portion of the project.
Brown also pointed out that another $325,000 will be used towards the project as that money was approved by the town at the last annual town meeting.
