Briggs Street bridge in Dighton closed to pedestrians. Future plans unknown. Here's why.

DIGHTON- Town officials claim a pedestrian bridge on Briggs Street over the Segreganset River has structural weaknesses that might cause it to collapse, and people are now prohibited from crossing it until the span is replaced.

Town Administrator Michael Mullen said the board of selectmen ordered the bridge closed to pedestrian traffic on Dec. 27 after a recent analysis by engineering firm BETA Inc. revealed the overpass built in 1850 has cracks in its clapper stone and a large number of openings in the bridge’s stone piers that hold it aloft.

“The analysis report recommended the complete closing of the bridge, including access by pedestrians,” Mullen said in a written statement to the Taunton Daily Gazette. “The board of selectmen voted to close the bridge based on the recommendation of the highway superintendent and the alternative analysis report.”

Mullen said the bridge over the Segreganset River connects two neighborhoods on Briggs Street which is accessible from neighborhoods on Middle Street and Center Street.

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"The closing of the bridge is not supposed to have a significant impact at this point," he said.

Mullen said there are other sections along the Segreganset River that people can walk across to access different neighborhoods.

"The river runs through a large part of Dighton and this area (Briggs Street bridge) has been closed to motor vehicle traffic for the last 30 years," he said.

Mullen said the bridge was closed to motor vehicle traffic because town officials had concerns that the weight of cars and trucks could cause it to collapse. While the bridge was closed to vehicles, it remained open to pedestrians until last month.

Future of the bridge

Mullen said town officials and residents will review options to remove the bridge, including replacing it with a pedestrian bridge or a bridge that motor vehicles can use.

“Town officials, together with residents and neighborhood stakeholders, currently have no anticipated timeframe or plans for the bridge to reopen to pedestrian traffic,” he said.

Two residents interviewed by the Taunton Daily Gazette indicated they want the bridge to remain accessible to pedestrians but not motor vehicles due to safety concerns.

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Briggs Street residents don't want motor vehicle bridge

Briggs Street homeowner Paula Borges, 52, said she does not want a motor vehicle bridge to be constructed because it would increase traffic and speeding drivers in the neighborhood.

“They (town officials) should leave the bridge closed to drivers so there will only be local traffic in the neighborhood,” she said. “I hope they fix the bridge so people can cross it.”

Borges said currently traffic in the neighborhood primarily consists of people who live there and their guests.

“It’s nice to know that when most people are coming into the neighborhood, they live here or are visiting somebody,” she said.

Borges said there are speeding cars that occasionally drive down Briggs Street because they don’t know the previous bridge could only be used by pedestrians.

Briggs Street homeowner Roy Plante, 70, said more speeding drivers drove through the neighborhood when the bridge was open to motor vehicle traffic.

“Having the bridge open for pedestrian use only is like having a dead-end street, and you don’t get a lot of traffic,” he said.

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Analysis says a motor vehicle bridge would create traffic challenges

Mullen said BETA Inc.’s analysis report states that constructing a motor vehicle bridge on Briggs Street could cause a considerable increase in traffic in the neighborhood

"Briggs Street could see a considerable increase in traffic volume because of motorists trying to bypass the Center and Middle Street intersections," he said.

Mullen said BETA Inc.'s analysis also determined that there would have to be a significant widening of Briggs Street near the Segreganset River to accommodate a two-lane bridge.

"A vehicular bridge could be constructed to carry a single-lane roadway over the river," he added.

Mullen said the potential costs for constructing a bridge on Briggs Street are expected to heavily impact plans for constructing a future overpass.

"This (bridge) is one of many long-deferred capital needs facing the town," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Possible motor vehicle bridge on Briggs Street has neighbors concerned