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Select Board votes to close Kellogg Road Bridge after MassDOT inspection finds severe corrosion
Summary
After a MassDOT inspection rated three of five girders at zero, the Sheffield Select Board voted unanimously to close the Kellogg Road Bridge to all traffic starting Friday the 20th at 8:00 a.m. Officials announced a 2.7-mile detour and said they will pursue an engineering design to move the project up the state's TIP list.
The Sheffield Select Board voted unanimously Sept. 16 to close the Kellogg Road Bridge to all traffic after a Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division inspection found severe corrosion.
The town announced the closure will begin Friday, Sept. 20, at 8:00 a.m., and said the inspection report cited corrosion of three of the bridge's five girders on the east end. The board and Town Administrator Rhonda said the bridge "should be closed to all traffic" to protect public safety and that a 2.7-mile detour using Maple Avenue will be created to route traffic between Route 7 and Borman Street.
Rhonda told the board the town is working with an engineering firm to prepare a preliminary engineering study for the state. That study, she said, is required to raise the project's priority on the state's Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) list, which would be necessary to obtain state funding for replacement. Officials cautioned that the TIP and replacement process could take several years and that the town is moving as quickly as the state's funding and project-delivery timelines allow.
The board also said it will issue a town press release, notify local media, run an email blast and use the town's reverse 911 system to inform residents. Officials said they have met with the police chief and the highway superintendent to manage traffic impacts, and they are planning signage, a wider turning radius where possible, and targeted police presence at busy times, particularly during school bus runs.
Residents at the meeting raised concerns about increased traffic on Maple Avenue and other detour routes; town officials said they will monitor conditions and adjust traffic controls as needed. The board emphasized the decision was based on safety following the MassDOT inspection.
Next steps: the town will close the bridge at the announced time, distribute the press release, provide detour signage, and submit the engineering study to the state to seek a higher TIP ranking for replacement funding.
