AGAWAM/WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Morgan-Sullivan Bridge is an essential means of travel for both Agawam and West Springfield residents. The bridge connects Route 147 over the Westfield River and acts as a direct line between the two towns.

The structure, built in 1942, was evaluated by MassDOT engineers in 2018 and it was determined that a full rebuild needed to be conducted to keep the bridge safe. Northern Construction, located in Palmer, was chosen as the contractor to complete what is set to be a four-year replacement project. The bridge is scheduled to be complete by Summer 2022.

With safety as a priority, Mayor of Agawam William Sapelli shared, “Safety is number one. The bridge was built in 1942. It’s 72 years old and it needs repairing. When inspectors got in there to inspect it, it was in worse condition than they thought. The construction will benefit both towns. The construction is going to help a lot. It will be all new. It’s going to be not only a safer bridge, but an overall community improvement.”

Mayor of West Springfield William Reichelt said he agreed the bridge project will benefit the community overall. “It’s a bridge that needs the work. You can feel how it moves up and down when you’re driving on it. It needs work. We have to invest in the infrastructure. It connects our two communities. It’s going to be a good addition to our infrastructure and community.” Reichelt said.

The new design includes a widened bridge with four lanes for vehicles and street improvements. New sidewalks and crash-protected, two-way bicycle lanes will be installed on the east side of the bridge. Sidewalk improvements will be made to allow pedestrian access to the Doering Middle School and Big E Fairgrounds. With the annual Big E fair comes traffic congestion, and the new bridge model addresses this with new turn lanes, queuing space for vehicles on both sides of the bridge, and new traffic signals at three major intersections including Memorial Avenue (Route 147) at River Street in West Springfield, Springfield Street (Route 147) at Main and Suffield Street in Agawam and Springfield Street (Route 147) at the Walnut Street/Walnut Street Extension in Agawam. Included will be drainage system upgrades.

Construction began in Nov. 2018 with preliminary work. What was initially a minimally impactful construction project moved into Stage 1, which requires long-term lane closures and traffic-flow reduction.  Northern Construction reduced the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge to one lane of travel in each direction on Jan. 17. Traffic has been reduced to the east side while work crews are replacing the west side.

During Stage 1, vehicles are restricted from turning onto River Street and a detour has been implemented for residents crossing the bridge from Agawam into West Springfield. Cars cannot turn left onto Memorial Avenue eastbound from River Street in West Springfield during Stage 1. The detour is effective until 2020.

A town meeting was hosted in Oct. 2018 to introduce the project and allow citizens the opportunity to ask questions. Concerns were expressed by a number of residents regarding traffic and local business impacts.

Karen Blinderman, a resident of West Springfield for over three decades, shared, “A lot of us are very concerned about what is going to happen over the next three years. It’d be best to close the whole bridge to get it done. There’s going to be a lot of local concern.”

Cecilia Calabrese, Vice President of the Agawam City Council and Hygienist for the Michael J. Calabrese dental office in Feeding Hills said she has already felt the impacts of the construction on business.

“One of the issues our patients have always had is with the train crossing. What they would do is take the Morgan Sullivan Bridge as a bypass. We are reminding patients to avoid that whole area. It’s been a problem. I know the construction is fairly new, but it’s certainly impacting our office. It means frequent rescheduling, or patients who cannot get in for treatment. There’s definitely been noticeable impact.” Calabrese said.

Agawam resident Andy Blake said he personally doesn’t mind the work being done to complete the bridge. “I’m totally fine with it. The work will take awhile but is extensive enough that once it’s complete, we will be set for decades to come.” Blake said.

In regard to concerns about the impact of construction on local businesses, Sapelli said he is optimistic that the area will see minimal impacts. “There will be an impact on the area businesses eventually. People try to stay away from the area knowing it’s under repair. Less traffic means less business. I would hope the people who support these businesses will find other ways to get here. Hopefully, some of the workers will be at the restaurants and shops in the area.” Sapelli said.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to take time. We hope it can be accelerated. Construction processes take time. But once it’s done, it’s going to be set for the next 50-100 years. We share people that work in each other’s communities and make purchases in each other’s communities. It’s going to be a benefit in the long run. It’s a huge and important project.” Reichelt said.

Community concerns have also stemmed from the annual Big E fair, which drew a record-breaking crowd in 2018. Both Sapelli and Reichelt have addressed concerns about the construction’s impact on a high-traffic event. “We made a note to sit down with representatives of the Big E when it gets closer. Come July or August, we will have a plan. We are planning to put signs on 91 to divert traffic. Electronic signs will help divert people.” Sapelli said.

Joe Ferraro, a resident of Agawam, said he feels the bridge project will only make?Big E traffic worse. “I live just up the road from the bridge on Suffield Street. During normal years, traffic from the Big E literally traps us in our homes each weekend. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like this year. I’m thinking every day is going to be a nightmare.” Ferraro said.

Agawam resident Amy Iellamo said she has mixed feelings about the project. “Although taking four years to complete the project seems like an insanely long time, it will be worth it in the end. I’m worried though that come fall, during the Big E, my opinion will change because I’m not a very patient person. I’ve already changed the grocery store I liked best because at times, the wait to get over the bridge in either direction is crazy.” Iellamo said.

Sapelli and Reichelt said they have been working together to provide incentive funds to make the construction process faster. “I’m joining forces with Mayor Reichelt to have strength in numbers and get together to provide incentive funding to have construction workers work nights. It would expedite the project and be safer. I would like to see that.” Sapelli said.

Reichelt shared, “We are working to provide incentive funds, but it’s going to rely on the state. They came in $9 million under budget, so we are hoping for that.”

An ongoing concern among citizens has been CSX freight trains blocking the Vietnam Veteran’s Bridge. While the Vietnam Veteran’s Bridge is an alternate route to avoid Morgan-Sullivan Bridge, it is blocked by CSX freight trains up to three times a day for over 45 minutes each time due to the CSX rail yard located in West Springfield.

Agawam resident Karen Knox said she has felt the impact of CSX trains in her travels. “The train heading to West Springfield makes it very difficult to get places when it stops dead on the tracks.” Knox said.

Mayor Sapelli shared that he has been working alongside Reichelt to provide a solution. “We are working on trying to get signals indicating there is a CSX train. We are hoping to have signs installed half a mile out from the West Springfield/Agawam line each way.” Sapelli said.

During Stage 1 of the project, it is clear that there will be impacts. Overall, Sapelli and Reichelt said they believe the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge project will have long-term benefits for residents.

“This project will ultimately benefit citizens, without a doubt.” Sapelli said.

Reichelt said, “It’s going to be a lot of construction. I work very closely with Mayor Sapelli and with our close cooperation and our community’s cooperation, we are going to make it as best as we can to improve the bridge for the community.”

For more information on the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge project and updates, please visit www.mass.gov/morgan-sullivan-bridge-replacement-project.