CLARKSBURG — The state will close the Route 8 bridge on River Road, the town’s central thoroughfare, while it installs a temporary span.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will build a temporary bridge on top of the existing Red Mills Bridge on River Road, otherwise known as Route 8, according to Clarksburg Town Administrator Ron Boucher.

Boucher said construction is expected to begin in February or March, with the bridge closed for about two months, though an official timeline had not been confirmed as of Friday. In an email to The Eagle, a MassDOT spokesperson said repairs to the Red Mills Bridge would start this spring, as weather permits. MassDOT did not confirm how much installing the temporary bridge would cost but expected it to be "limited" because the department already owns the temporary bridge.

The temporary bridge will accommodate all standard travel volumes and vehicles, according to the spokesperson. MassDOT is identifying a detour route along municipal roadways in both Clarksburg and North Adams to help travelers impacted by the temporary closure.

This bridge on Route 8 in Clarksburg will be closed for about two months as a temporary bridge is built over the old bridge.

“After [the temporary bridge is installed], it would be returned to normal,” Boucher said of the traffic pattern.

The state highway bridge was built in 1970 and has been deemed structurally deficient by the state. A full replacement of the bridge, funded through the Transportation Improvement Program, is planned over the next five years.

Route 8 also serves as the highway into Vermont. With the bridge closed, traffic into Vermont will be directed toward Route 2 and up to North Eagle Street or Route 7.

Boucher spoke with MassDOT on Monday and said that the temporary bridge on River Road may extend past the original bridge, blocking access to the adjacent East Road. Because East Road is a connecting point from Daniels Road, Boucher said he and town officials have urged the state to find a way to keep one lane open at least for emergency vehicles and large trucks that would have more trouble navigating through narrow surrounding roads.

Without the East Road access point off of Route 8, vehicles would have to completely circle Route 8. That would mean traveling from Cross Road to Middle Road to Henderson Road and then to East Road. Or, they could travel south, heading down Route 8 to Beaver Street in North Adams, then on to Union Street and finally to Walker Street.

“They need to find a way to keep that open just for emergency vehicles access,” said Boucher. “[Vehicles] could go around [East Road], but it's a lot quicker, especially just for emergency vehicles. That was another question I had for [MassDOT] on Monday, so they're still working on a plan for that.”

The state is also expediting the town’s Middle Road bridge repair as part of the recently announced Funding for Accelerated Infrastructure Repair program. The bridge that goes over Hudson Brook needs a girder replaced and was in early engineering phases. It was built in 1950 and also deemed structurally deficient by the state.

MassDOT will ensure that only one of the structures will be out of service at a time, said the spokesperson. Repairs on the Middle Road bridge are expected to occur in the summer after the temporary Route 8 bridge is installed and a cost estimate and timeline for construction have not yet been determined.

“We asked the state for some help with it, and the state agreed to help us because of the inconvenience of the Route 8 bridge,” Boucher said. "It worked out nice for us, for a little inconvenience here, it's gonna help the town," he said.

This bridge on Middle Road that goes over Hudson Brook will be repaired immediately by the state.

This 76-year-old bridge on Middle Road that goes over Hudson Brook will be repaired immediately by the state, using emergency repair funding, some good news for the town as it was previously going to have to pay for it. The tribute on the bridge is in memorial of a toddler who died in the brook in April of 2023.