The Brookside Road truss-style bridge over the Housatonic River in Great Barrington was recently shut down. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation deemed it unsafe. Brookside Road is at the south end of town and runs east to Brush Hill Road in Sheffield and also intersects with Boardman Street. Estimates suggest it may take four years to get the bridge replaced, causing major inconvenience and safety concerns for those who reside in the area. The population also increases significantly during the summer months at nearby Eisner Camp.
Brookside Road was previously closed in 1948 when a flood swept away an iron bridge, as shown in the photograph above. It was quickly replaced by a temporary, so-called “Bailey” bridge shown immediately below. That temporary bridge was then replaced with a permanent bridge the following year.
The recently closed bridge is also shown below. According to town officials, a temporary span is not recommended. Apparently, installing a temporary crossing could jeopardize funding sources and further complicate bridge replacement.
