Town officials in Northfield, Mass., seek funding to reconstruct the historic Schell Bridge over the Connecticut River. With $36.36 million secured, they aim to bridge the remaining gap of $25 million, emphasizing economic benefits and safety enhancements. Success lies in continued collaboration with state and federal legislators, as well as community engagement.
Town officials in Northfield, Mass., are continuing their push to reinvigorate the effort to reconstruct a new Schell Bridge over the Connecticut River.
Recently, they invited state and federal legislators, key stakeholders from various Massachusetts state departments and local groups to visit the community to discuss the project.
If fully funded, the proposal would consist of a complete replacement of the historic Pennsylvania truss bridge, named after Francis R. Schell, a New York merchant who gave $42,000 for the span's original design and construction. The bridge, carrying East Northfield Road over the river, opened in 1903 but has been shuttered since 1985 due to advanced deterioration of its steel truss components that rendered it unsafe to use.
When it was in service, it linked two sections of Northfield, the only town in Massachusetts that is divided by the river.
"It was a great chance to have these stakeholders come back out and see why it's important to the town," Northfield Town Administrator Andrea Llamas said of a September tour of the structure. "It was really a chance to talk about the project, what's going well … where we are in terms of funding, where we are in terms of design."
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently gave an update about the redesign process, intended to lower the cost of rebuilding the bridge, the Greenfield Recorder noted on Oct. 22.
The agency noted that cost has been an ongoing challenge for the project, which currently has an estimated price tag of $61.35 million. Of that, $36.36 million has been secured, according to Leslie Roberts, Northfield's grant development director.
To make up the difference, the town has made numerous appeals to state and federal officials seeking funding support.
Llamas explained that once MassDOT does finish rebuilding the Schell Bridge, the town would then transfer ownership to the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation. Northfield Selectboard member Barbara "Bee" Jacque added that this would mean the removal of a $10 million liability for the small community.
While a new bridge, which could take up to three years to build, would be primarily intended for pedestrians and bicyclists, it would also allow for increased efficiency for first responders in the event of emergencies that require getting to the other side of the river.
Northfield has advocated replacing the structure for decades, which would also eliminate the threat of the rusted bridge from collapsing into the Connecticut River.
New Bridge Could Boost Local Economy
Jacque also said that a new bridge would be helpful to draw bike tourists to Northfield, adding that they often use Massachusetts Highway 142 on the west side of the river to travel the region.
Aside from the Mass. 10 bridge to the south — which she described as presenting a "safety issue" — cyclists are only able to access Northfield by crossing the Connecticut River in Vermont and New Hampshire before coming back south.
The September visit also included a tour of the bridge and visits to local businesses, including the Pauchaug Boat Ramp, Riverview Picnic Area, Cameron's Winery and The Brewery at Four Star Farms.
Selected participants spoke at each stop about the link between the bridge and existing bikeways through Franklin County, and north into Vermont and New Hampshire, as well as the ways a new span could spur economic development more broadly in the Northfield area.
"I thought it was helpful to re-engage because this has been going on for so long," Jacque told the Recorder. "We had great representation from all the legislators, federal and state."
Schell Bridge advocacy efforts will continue in the weeks ahead, with the nonprofit Friends of Schell Bridge's annual meeting set for Nov. 2 at The Brewery at Four Star Farms.
Additionally, surveys have been sent to Northfield residents inviting them to provide feedback about the process of selecting a bridge redesign, the Greenfield newspaper noted.
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