SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - Concerned viewers have reached out to our newsroom about the West Street bridge that connects Springfield to Ludlow. The bridge has been closed since August and, since then, commuters have been forced to seek alternate routes, which they said has caused a longer commute to work as well, as congestion on usually calm side streets.

Five months ago, the city was hopeful for quick repairs. On Wednesday, Melissa Russell of Ludlow left for work 20 minutes early. “I have a co-worker who actually needed to leave 20 minutes early, so they can get here because of the morning commute,” she said.

If you are the one of many who use the West Street bridge to get to work, you know exactly what Russell is going through. “You have to plan extra time, especially for getting to things that I need to do on Boston Road,” she explained.

Russell commutes from South Hadley to Ludlow every day and she said the closed bridge has made life extremely inconvenient. “You have to go down side streets that you normally probably shouldn’t have that much congestion,” she added.

The bridge has been closed since August when a large bump, related to an expansion joint issue, was found on the Springfield side. When we spoke to drivers in June, they were frustrated and the city said it would work with MassDOT on expediting repairs. The motorists also hoped to complete the work in a couple of months.

That was five months ago.

For those that use the bridge for their everyday commute, barriers seen at the site mean an inconvenience but, for those who live in the neighborhood, it means peace and quiet. We visited the neighborhood around the bridge on Wednesday. While residents there didn’t want to go on-camera, they told us the quiet has been nice. However, they admit they’re in the minority and most hope it reopens soon. In fact, another Western Mass Nnews viewer reached out with hopes we could get answers on any progress. Their email read in part: “Has the Massachusetts DOT created a plan to repair the West Street Bridge between Ludlow and Springfield? If so, when will repair work begin?”

MassDOT told us that they did a regularly scheduled inspection in late September and they shared the inspection with the city in late December. They said it’s a municipally-owned bridge, so Springfield and Ludlow share ownership. The city of Springfield is taking the lead with designs and repairs.

We took our questions to the city of Springfield. The mayor’s office told us Department of Public Works Director Chris Cignoli would be the best person to speak with. However, he was unavailable Wednesday.

In the meantime, Russell will keep leaving 20 minutes early and we’ll keep asking about when the bridge is expected to reopen.

Western Mass News will continue to follow this story and will have more information as it becomes available.

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