Leverett weighs durability vs. aesthetics in Mill Yard Road bridge rebuild

LEVERETT — A remote North Leverett bridge closed to vehicular traffic for several years is expected to be rebuilt, but before the project proceeds town officials will have to decide whether to prioritize its long-term durability or its aesthetics.

The lightly used, one-lane timber bridge over the Sawmill River on Mill Yard Road, knocked off its foundation in 2018 by ice flows, is in the state Department of Transportation’s small bridge grant program.

That program, for bridges that are 10 to 20 feet long, will provide up to $1 million for the bridge’s reconstruction.

Andrea Lacasse, senior project manager for Tighe & Bond, told the Select Board Tuesday that the state program seeks to have 100-year life spans for replaced bridges.

The recommendation from the consultant, which is concluding the design and alternatives analysis phase, is to have an adjacent deck beam bridge, using precast, prestressed concrete. That would have a $1.25 million upfront cost and $400,000 in life cycle costs, mostly with concrete repairs, Lacasse said.

Lacasse said this would be the most resilient and cost effective plan, and the town could have timber rail options for aesthetics, as well as dyeing the concrete.

The upfront cost is similar for a timber bridge, but the town likely would only get 60 years before a replacement would be needed, meaning there are potentially $2.37 million in life cycle costs.

The most expensive option, at $1.58 million, is for a steel stringer bridge, with $900,000 in life cycle costs, mostly related to painting the steel.

Each design shows a 32-foot-long span, 14 feet longer than what now exists, that will increase the hydraulic opening, but maintain the width at 14 feet. Each bridge would also be designed to federal highway standards, meaning there would be no weight restrictions.

Before the bridge closing, it had a weight limit of 3 tons. The new bridge will also include both a vehicular and pedestrian rail system for safety.

“At this point, all design is conceptual,” Lacasse said.

But residents who live near the bridge, which is located near the historic coke kilns and a waterfall and set amid narrow gravel roads, questioned whether this will fit the rural neighborhood.

Select Board member Jed Proujansky said it is important to take this into consideration.

“I think aesthetics matter,” Proujansky said, adding that the area should look nice and town officials shouldn’t “throw to the wind” the aesthetics.

There is also a question about whether the bridge needs to replaced, as its closure has little impact on how vehicles get around, with Hemenway Road extending to Rattlesnake Gutter Road to access both ends of Mill Yard Road. In 2022, the Select Board responded to a survey of residents by voting to seek grants that could allow for its reopening to vehicles.

Nancy Grossman, a member of the Finance Committee, said the bridge is in an out of way place and just has to be functional.

Once a decision is made, Lacasse said she will advance the sketch plans to the state. The board is expected to decide which bridge to support at its March 10 meeting, after getting more input from residents.

Maintaining a rustic bridge has precedent in town.

In 1978, the town opted against rebuilding a nearby bridge on Rattlesnake Gutter Road using concrete, instead having the Highway Department do stone-style abutments and wooden railings, rather than steel guards.

And on the nearby Old Coke Kiln Road, a timber bridge remains intact that drivers can use to get from North Leverett Road to Hemenway Road.

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