Taft Pond Road Bridge Weight Limited, Again

The State Department of Transportation had divers in the Mashamoquet Brook this past December inspecting the abutments of the bridge.  They discovered serious scour of the southern abutment of Taft Pond Road Bridge caused by the severe flooding last July. That was the storm that washed out Taft Pond Road at Chase Hill Road. 

The state noticed a large amount of debris deposited downstream of the bridge and suspected a large tree had been swept under the bridge possibly causing damage to the abutments and stream channel.  It must have been a sight to see divers in the brook and snow on the ground.

Due to the identified damage to the understructure of the abutment, DOT was considering closing the bridge. This damage was not present earlier when extensive repairs were done this past summer. The weight limit is again reduced to CARS ONLY / NO TRUCKS / 3 TON LIMIT  until remediation can be undertaken. 

 This may be a sign of the times. The extreme weather we experienced last summer did considerable damage to several town roads, bridges, and residential properties. With twenty-four bridges in town, we must be vigilant about the condition of our structures and keep on top of maintenance.