Temporary repairs to Sheffield’s Kellogg Road Bridge could be cheaper than originally thought, officials say | South Berkshire

SHEFFIELD — City officials say they are likely just weeks away from developing a plan to repair damaged beams on the Kellogg Road Bridge so they can reopen the road.

They also said state officials estimate the cost to be no more than $100,000 to $150,000 and that repairs to the bridge would not jeopardize state and federal funding for a $6.4 million replacement kit for construction in 2027.

At Monday’s special board meeting, board member Lee Battala said officials learned during a meeting last week with Department of Transportation officials and state Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli, a Lenox Democrat, that money would still be available to build a permanent bridge. . This project is DOT-listed. website as at the preliminary design stage.

In the meantime, Buttal said the city has already called several local contractors to estimate the cost of repairs, which will be paid by the city.

“We hope that in a couple of weeks,” Buttala said, “we will have a plan on how to move forward.”

The city closed the bridge Sept. 20 after DOT inspectors discovered corrosion in the beams and recommended its closure.

The bridge is next downstream from the Brookside Road Bridge in Great Barrington, which was closed in May, also after a routine inspection found severe girder failure.

Area residents were asked not to use the Kellogg Road Bridge as a detour, but GPS was still directing traffic across it. Officials in both cities asked motorists to head to Maple Avenue, the next river crossing downstream, raising concerns about the load on that bridge.

Board Chair Nadine Hover later told The Eagle that the timeline for opening the Kellogg Road site is still unclear. If costs remain within the U.S. Department of Transportation’s estimate of $100,000 to $150,000, remaining pandemic relief funds could be used to cover them, she said.

But previous engineers’ estimates, Hover added, had dropped to about $400,000 to $500,000.

“If it’s ($500,000),” she said, “I don’t know where we’re going to get that money.”

The board and residents said Monday night they were pleased with the news. The meeting followed one in which residents criticized the board over the closure.

Residents in the area east of the Housatonic River, in both Sheffield and Great Barrington, have faced detour issues, concerns about emergency response times and other issues since the closure.

Sheffield resident Doug Wiencek noted that he had to call an ambulance two days after the city closed the bridge.

“I’m here for every senior on Boardman Street, Brookside and Brush Hill Road,” Winsec said, “who might need an ambulance 30 minutes early.”

Sheffield resident James Larkin told the board he should work with Great Barrington and possibly share the cost of repairing the Kellogg Road bridge, as it would serve as a quicker detour for affected areas in both cities. Larkin also made this recommendation to the Great Barrington Board of Directors.

The city has prepared a sample letter for residents to send to Gov. Maura Healey and lawmakers, who include U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. The letter emphasizes the urgency of the crisis, which “could mean the loss of a life or a home.”

“We understand that the state has a bridge construction process,” the letter said, “but we do not understand why it is taking so long, especially when people’s lives and livelihoods are at stake.”