State shuts down Holyoke’s Appleton Street bridge over safety concerns
HOLYOKE ― The Appleton Street bridge in Holyoke is now closed. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the city got a message from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation saying the bridge over the canal near Heritage State Park had to shut down.
In statement Tuesday, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia said state inspectors found a 20-inch by 12-inch hole in a steel beam called Girder 3, where a layer of protective concrete had fallen off. The state also noted that other parts of the bridge were worn down and missing concrete, making it too risky to keep open, he said.
Representatives of several city departments — including police, fire, public works, engineering, planning and ambulance services — have met to talk about the bridge closure and update its emergency routes to make sure they can still respond quickly if needed, Garcia said.
The city is still working on final detour plans, and once they're ready, the public will be notified. For now, Garcia urged drivers to follow the detour signs already in place.
He also said the state will inspect another part of the bridge on Appleton Street — this one over the second level of the canal near Race Street — on Thursday. If that inspection affects traffic, Garcia said he'll let people know right away.
MassDOT lists bridges for replacement in the State Transportation Improvements Program, Garcia said.
"The city will be lobbying our legislators and the commonwealth to accelerate the schedule. We will update the public as we develop a local response and traffic plan to this sudden event," he said.
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