The Winnetuxet River Bridge is closed for repairs on Winnetuxet Road in Plympton for the next couple of weeks while the substructure posts are wrapped to give them strength.
Highway Superintendent Scott Ripley told The Express that this project was begun by now retired Highway Superintendent Jim Mulcahy and is now being completed.
The bridge is subject to annual inspection by the State and it has been known that the substructure is in need of repair. An operator in an excavator was working on Tuesday to remove the large rocks under the bridge so workers can access the pilings to wrap them with sleeves to make them stronger, avoiding replacement for the time being.
They expect this part of the project to take a couple of weeks, after which the bridge will re-open to traffic as they plan the final phase of replacing the guard rails. Then they will once again close the bridge to traffic while they work on it.
“The guard rails won’t look much different from what we have now,” Ripley said. “They’ll still be wooden.” The planking on the bridge will not be replaced.
Ripley said he expects entire project will be completed by the first of November.