The MPO was updated on the projects Tuesday afternoon.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state is currently spending more than $60 million in maintaining the 271 bridges in Western Massachusetts.

 

Peter Frieri, of the Department of Transportation's District 1, said nearly $10 million is being spent on emergency repairs and $51 million on rehabilitation projects. 

 

"Currently, there is $10 million that has been spent or will be spent on bridges," Frieri told the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization on Wednesday.

 

Deck repairs are the most expensive and are being done under a $2.8 million contract with MIG Corp. at various locations throughout the district. SPS New England has the $1.1 million deck-repair contract.

 

The state is spending $1.6 million through J.H. Maxymillian on substructure repairs and $1.5 million with SPS on superstructure repairs. Clayton Davenport has a $2.6 million contract for other structural repairs and SPS again has a $436,000 contract for joint repairs. The completion dates for these repair projects range from May 2015 to November 2016.

 

The district includes not only the Berkshires but also parts of Hampshire, Hamden and Franklin counties. In the Berkshires, there are $51 million worth of bridge projects ongoing.

 

The largest bridge project is the Hadley Overpass in North Adams. That project, at nearly $35 million, is expected to be completed by the end of January 2015. Northern Construction is the low bidder on the next most expensive contract, which is the replacement of the Woodlawn Avenue bridge in Pittsfield. 

 

The next largest ongoing project is on Hopper Road in Williamstown — a $3.3 million project with a bid opening scheduled for this past Friday.

 

A bridge over Route 7A in Sheffield is being repaired by Maxymillian at nearly a $3 million cost. That project is 90 percent done and is expected to wrap up in the spring. A bridge on Route 41 is being replaced by Maxymillian at a cost of $2.2 million. A bridge on Route 8 in Sandisfield is being replaced for $1.4 million.

 

A bridge repair on Route 8 in Adams is nearing completion at a cost of $887,000 by MIG Corp. and a bridge on Route 8 in Sandisfield is eyed for repair at a cost of $695,000.

 

The MPO members said they would like to know how the bridges are prioritized, and Frieri said he would prepare a presentation.

 

"We're going to see more bridges needing repairs because of the weather we've been getting," said MPO member Jim Lovejoy.