Emergency repairs will begin this spring on the Deady Bridge in Chicopee, MA. More than $800,000 has been set aside by Massachusetts Highway Department (MassHighway) for the project, which has been awarded to Warner Brothers Inc. of Sunderland, MA.

According to Jim Tudryn of Warner Brothers, the Deady (pronounced Dee-dy) Bridge project will consist solely of work on the superstructure of the bridge, but work will not likely start until late March when the weather starts to warm up.

Tudryn explained that the bridge is an open steel grate bridge that has rusted over time. The repairs are needed to keep all the traffic that crosses the Chicopee River on Route 141 moving smoothly and safely. Although the work will take about three months to complete, the bridge will never be completely closed. Only one lane will be closed at any one time. Under normal conditions, it is a four-lane span.

The work will consist of repairing the steel girders and floor beams, as well as the steel purlins. Workers will weld the repair plates to the beams and girders. Depending on the length of the stringers that will be used, Tudryn said that workers may need to use a small crane on the project. After that phase is finished, the superstructure will be cleaned and painted by Mitsui Painting of Chicopee. No earthmoving or demolition will be involved at all. “It is not a severe problem, but it’s something that should be addressed,” said Doug Cope of MassHighway.

The bridge allows Montgomery Street in Chicopee to cross the Chicopee River and is a critical part of the city’s transportation system. It was first built in 1938.

“This project will make some important improvements to the Deady Bridge, and is further evidence of the Cellucci/Swift Administration’s commitment to upgrading our state’s transportation infrastructure,” commented MassHighway Commissioner Matthew J. Amorello. It is part of an overall effort by the administration to dedicate more than $700 million a year to road and bridge repairs throughout the state.

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