We the residents of Westfield were originally told that construction of the Pochassic Street Bridge would start in April, then July, and now here it is the middle of August and we have zilch done. Representative Humason and Senator Knapik could you please get us some true facts regarding this bridge? I would also like to know when the last time the bridge on Notre Dame Street was inspected. Editor, can you get that info for us? Thank you. We spoke with Rep. Humason and MassDOT District Highway Engineer, Al Stegemann, who believes work will begin by the middle of September. Any delays have been a result of plans going back and forth between the contractor, the state, and the railroad. There were some liability concerns because the Pioneer Valley Railroad uses that area as part of their rail yard for storing and moving rail cars. The contractor, R. Bates & Sons, will first prepare the site, then build a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks followed by the demolition of the existing bridge structure. The historic arch will be protected and preserved and refurbished. Some of the work, the demolition phase, can take place over the winter months if needed. Completion date is still anticipated to be April 20, 2014. Btw, due to Rep. Humason, Mayor Knapik, and Senator Knapik’s lobbying of the Secretary of MassDOT, the project was expedited by a full year. As to the other question, the Notre Dame Street bridge over the Pioneer Valley Railroad is inspected by the state every two years, like every other bride in the state, unless any deficiency is noted. Then they increase inspections to every 6 months. There are no deficiencies with the Notre Dame Street bridge. The Commonwealth is sensitive to the residents on the hill and is well aware of the school and bus traffic that uses that bridge.
