Originally built in 1880 by Keystone Bridge Co., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, two of its three spans were knocked off their piers by the floating Montague City Covered Bridge during the 1936 flood.[1] Subsequently, those spans were rebuilt and replaced in 1936 by the Phoenix Bridge Company, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The remaining span of the original bridge is the oldest surviving span across the Connecticut River.[2] The older span is a Whipple truss design. The newer spans use a modified Warren truss design (vertical truss members are added to the traditional form of a Warren truss).
The bridge was refurbished in 2006 to be part of the new Canalside Rail Trail.[3][4] However, though the bridge can now be used, the refurbishing is not complete as of July 2007. The western pier has some stones out of place and some stones fallen off. There is currently work going on to fix this issue.
Image gallery
Looking west along the length of the bridge from the eastern end, you can see the newly constructed wooden bridge deck and the safety railings.
This image shows the plate bolted to the western end of the first of the "new" spans put up in 1936.
This image shows the plate put up by the Keystone Bridge Company on the one span of the bridge which is circa 1880.
This image shows the bridge piers, including some of the lesser damage sustained by the western pier.
Here is the temporary road being built so that repairs can be made to the western pier.
Underside of the rail bridge, showing the main deck supports
^A: "MassHighway must possess evidence that the bridge has been individually listed in, or has been found eligible for individual listing in, the National Register of Historic Places. Bridges that have been found to be contributing elements within National Register-listed or -eligible historic districts, but that do not appear to possess characteristics that would qualify them for individual listing in the National Register, are NOT included in the list."[5] ^B: Project 604128 DEERFIELD- MONTAGUE- BIKE TRAIL CONSTRUCTION, FRANKLIN COUNTY BIKEWAY (PHASE I, Part A)
This proposed project was originally a part of Project # 602958 Franklin County Bikeway (Phase 1, Part B) in Montague that was advertised August 23, 2003. This phase of the bikeway project begins at McClelland Farm Road and continues north along existing abandoned railroad right-of-way before terminating at Montague City Road for a distance of approximately 1.3 miles. The project also includes the modification of the three span, wood trestle, former railroad bridge over the Connecticut River into a bikeway bridge.
# Location: Town of Montague
Construction Begins: Winter 2005/2006
Construction Ends: Spring 2008
Resident Engineer: John Burek [Email MassHighway]
Construction Contract Value: $1,816,361.00
Construction Bid Price: $1,616,692.50
Initial Construction Estimate: $1,164,690.00
MassHighway District: District 2
Current Status: Bike path under construction (as of 04/10/2006)
Additional Info: Project suspended for winter (as of 12/05/2007)
# 43206 -- Construction Contract
PF# 604128 - DEERFIELD- MONTAGUE- BIKE TRAIL CONSTRUCTION, FRANKLIN COUNTY BIKEWAY (PHASE I, Part A) 99% Complete
# 97333 -- Design -- Bike/Ped Projects
FRANKLIN COUNTY BIKEWAY Final
Notice to Proceed: 01/24/2006
Project Designer: Municipality
Funding Source: Surface Trans. Program
Current Status
Bike path under construction
Additional Info
Project suspended for winter
Project Initiation Form PRC Submitted 11/07/2003
Project Review Committee Received 12/01/2003
Project Review Committee PRC Approved 12/03/2003
Project Review Committee Letter 12/30/2003
Project Status Advertised 09/25/2004
Highway Design Process Type Study Received 03/01/2004
Highway Design Process Type Study Comments to DE 05/07/2004
Highway Design Process 1st Structural Submission Received 06/29/2001
Highway Design Process 1st Structural Comments to DE 07/19/2001
Highway Design Process 2nd Structural Design Received 06/29/2001
Highway Design Process 2nd Structural Comments to DE 07/19/2001
Highway Design Process Subsequent Comments to DE 09/21/2004
Highway Design Process Subsequent Comments to DE 12/09/2004
Highway Design Process Bridge Design Approved 01/26/2005
25% Design 25% Plans Received 04/16/1999
25% Design 25% Comments to DE 11/10/1999
25% Design Design Public Hearing 06/15/2000
75% Design 75% Plans Received 07/01/2001
75% Design 75% Comments to DE 10/30/2001
100% Design 100% Plans Received 05/27/2004
100% Design 100% Plans Received 06/25/2004
Final Design PS&E to CEPO 09/20/2004
Final Design PS&E Received 11/11/2004
100% Design Review 100% Plans Received 06/03/2004
100% Signs/Markings 100% Plans Approved 06/29/2004
100% TCA 100% Plans Approved 06/08/2004
ENV STATUS Section Cleared - Federal Aid 06/30/2005
Document/Plan Submissions 0 06/29/2004
