Sawmill River Bridge – Montague MA

City:
Montague, MA

Site Type:
Infrastructure and Utilities, Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels

New Deal Agencies:
Works Progress Administration (WPA), Work Relief Programs

Started:
1935

Description

The Sawmill River is located in northern Massachusetts, and passes near and under many streets in the town of Montague: “The river closely parallels North Leverett Road and Main Street, and passes under North Leverett Road, Route 63, South Street, Center Street, Main Street, Meadow Road and South Ferry Road on its way to the Connecticut …”

A short bridge carries Center Street across the Sawmill River. It was improved with the aid of federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor. A plaque credits WPA improvement work between 1935 and 1936; imprints on the sides of the cement side structures along the bridge state 1937.

Source notes

https://www.montague.net/pages/MontagueMA_Planning/Section%204_FINAL_REVISED_1-26-2011.pdf Plaque on bridge

Site originally submitted by Evan Kalish on August 23, 2016.

Location Info


Center St.
Montague, MA

Coordinates: 42.535657, -72.526407

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One comment on “Sawmill River Bridge – Montague MA

  1. Will Quale

    In February 2018, following a Mass DOT inspection revealing declining structure under the bridge, the town reduced the Center Street Sawmill River Bridge to one lane with concrete barriers. https://www.recorder.com/Center-Street-Bridge-inspection-15859117

    In May 2022, following another Mass DOT inspection revealing failure of multiple support beams, the town permanently closed the Center Street Sawmill River Bridge to vehicular traffic with concrete barriers. Bicycles and pedestrians can still cross the bridge. https://www.recorder.com/Montague-s-Center-Street-Bridge-closes-amid-structural-concerns-46630389

    It may be at least a decade in this state, as the town already has many other bridges scheduled for repairs with state funding in the 2020s including the parallel South Street Sawmill River Bridge (reduced to a single lane in May 2018, scheduled for repair in Summer 2024) and the North Leverett Road Sawmill River Bridge (similarly reduced recently, scheduled for repair in Spring 2025). So far as I can tell, neither the South St nor North Leverett Rd bridges are WPA; they are less impressive and have no plaques.

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One comment on “Sawmill River Bridge – Montague MA

  1. Will Quale

    In February 2018, following a Mass DOT inspection revealing declining structure under the bridge, the town reduced the Center Street Sawmill River Bridge to one lane with concrete barriers. https://www.recorder.com/Center-Street-Bridge-inspection-15859117

    In May 2022, following another Mass DOT inspection revealing failure of multiple support beams, the town permanently closed the Center Street Sawmill River Bridge to vehicular traffic with concrete barriers. Bicycles and pedestrians can still cross the bridge. https://www.recorder.com/Montague-s-Center-Street-Bridge-closes-amid-structural-concerns-46630389

    It may be at least a decade in this state, as the town already has many other bridges scheduled for repairs with state funding in the 2020s including the parallel South Street Sawmill River Bridge (reduced to a single lane in May 2018, scheduled for repair in Summer 2024) and the North Leverett Road Sawmill River Bridge (similarly reduced recently, scheduled for repair in Spring 2025). So far as I can tell, neither the South St nor North Leverett Rd bridges are WPA; they are less impressive and have no plaques.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

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