As the Army Corps of Engineers and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation continue to plan for the replacement of the Bourne and Sagamore bridges, town officials on the Lower Cape say it's still too soon to effectively plan around the new spans. In January, MassDOT unveiled what the new spans would look like in concept. Public feedback found support for arched bridges that look similar to the existing ...

BREWSTER — In November, conversation on the Facebook page "Orleans, Ma. Community Space" speculated about the future of what locals have colloquially come to call "the Pink Bridge." A post on the page, which also included video of a vehicle approaching the overpass along Freemans Way in Brewster running over Route 6, said the bridge would lose its identifiable pink colored steel as a result of an ongoing state...

CHATHAM — In the latest effort to fix the sticky Mitchell River drawbridge, crews will begin major repairs on April 8 which could take nearly two months to complete. During that time, Bridge Street will be closed to through traffic. On Monday, MassDOT officials notified the town that the bridge contractor, SPS New England, will be on site starting April 1, installing detour signs and informational message bo...

CHATHAM — In the latest effort to fix the sticky Mitchell River drawbridge, crews will begin major repairs on April 8 which could take nearly two months to complete. During that time, Bridge Street will be closed to through traffic. On Monday, MassDOT officials notified the town that the bridge contractor, SPS New England, will be on site starting April 1, installing detour signs and informational message boar...

CHATHAM — If this summer’s humidity has you down, you’re not alone. Last weekend, the span of the Mitchell River drawbridge was kept in the lowered position because of continued problems related to swelling of bridge timbers during humid weather. Crews made the latest round of stopgap repairs Monday, and are hopeful that the $14 million bridge will remain operational until more extensive repairs can be made ...

CHATHAM — Contractors are hoping that the most recent adjustments to the Mitchell River drawbridge will allow it to function properly, at least through this summer season. The two-year-old bridge has been prone to swelling during humid weather, causing the center span both to stick shut and to not close completely after being opened. Last week, crews from bridge contractor SPS New England, Inc., spent three ...

CHATHAM — Using a low-tech approach, contractors may have fixed the sticky Mitchell River drawbridge. The bridge, which has a timber superstructure, periodically did not close completely, and engineers speculated that the problem was related to the wood swelling during humid or wet weather. Last Wednesday, the contractor shaved away some of the timber on the fixed portion of the bridge where it abuts the mov...

CHATHAM — Like a sticky cupboard on a humid day, the new Mitchell River drawbridge sometimes jams when it closes. Open for just over a year, the bridge cost taxpayers about $14 million, and town officials sometimes have to park a truck on top of the span to force it to lower fully. “Clearly that's not something we want to have to do every time,” Natural Resources Director Robert Duncanson said. Though the...

HARWICH — Saturday will be a busy day around the Route 124 overpass of Route 6, as state and local officials, together with the Bridges for the Fallen organization, dedicate the bridge to fallen World War II pilot U.S. Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Ralph Wallace Burns. The 10 a.m. dedication is anticipated to draw a large crowd at the commuter parking lot near the bridge, where the ceremony will be held. With l...

HARWICH — On the Saturday of Columbus Day, the Route 124 bridge over Route 6 will be dedicated to a fallen World War II hero. Bridges for the Fallen is working with the chamber of commerce to make it a day-long event, including evening firework. Gov. Charles Baker signed special legislation in June designating the bridge United States Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Ralph Wallace Burns Bridge. The legislation was...

HARWICH — The Route 124 bridge over Route 6 has been officially designated as the United States Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Ralph Wallace Burns Bridge. The Legislature and Gov. Charles Baker approved the law making the designation in June. Burns was a pilot who lost his life while serving in World War II. The legislation was put forward by Rob Mador and Steven Xiarhos, deputy chief of police in Yarmouth, w...

Muddy Creek has a new bridge, better water quality, and a new group of devotees who are visiting by canoe and kayak. Chatham resident George Olmsted thinks it's time for the waterway to get a new name, as well. Olmsted says he'd someday like to drive across that bridge and see a little “Monomoy River” sign where the Muddy Creek sign used to be. “Muddy Creek is not an attractive name. And furthermore, at thi...

CHATHAM — In the span of a few weeks, officials opened two new bridges in Chatham, one over the Mitchell River and the other crossing Muddy Creek. That's pretty big news for a town that, as of a few months ago, only had one automobile bridge. Both spans are winning high praise from the public, both received substantial outside funding, and both were completed on time. But that's where the similarities end. The...

CHATHAM — Spanning more than the banks of the Mitchell River, the town's new drawbridge – opened with a ceremonial snip of a ribbon Monday – bridged the more daunting gulf between highway engineers and preservationists. The new Mitchell River bridge won't be complete until the fall, but was scheduled to open to auto traffic this Wednesday. Its hybrid design features a modern steel and concrete substructure ...

CHATHAM – It's being billed as “A walk back to the future – Chatham’s newest oldest wooden drawbridge.” On Monday, June 20 at 4:30 p.m., a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the new Mitchell River Drawbridge. Underway for the past two years, the $14 million project was done under the direction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) with funding through the Federal Accelerated Bridge P...

CHATHAM – The opening of the Mitchell River Bridge has been pushed back a week to Monday, June 20. Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation told selectmen last month that the opening of the new drawbridge to traffic was anticipated on June 14, but warned that the date was tentative. Coastal Resources Director Ted Keon said Tuesday that the agency requested that the opening be moved back a ...