Four-Day Shutdown Begins Tuesday to Repair, Replace Concrete
Decking; Alert Goes Out to Island Motorists
By MAX HART
Against the backdrop of a visit last week from the Massachusetts
Highway Commissioner and pledges of greater cooperation with the Island
community, state highway officials announced abruptly this week that the
Lagoon Pond drawbridge will be closed to traffic for four days while
repairs are made to the aging structure.
Lagoon Drawbridge Replacement Work Begins Early 2007
By MAX HART
The first phase of the Lagoon Pond drawbridge replacement project
- the construction of a temporary bridge on the pond side of the
span - is now slated to begin in the new year rather than this
fall as planned.
In 1971, on the occasion of Tisbury\'s tercentenary, the
Montagnana Trio of Caroline Worthington (cello), John Gates (clarinet)
and Delores Stevens (piano) was invited to Martha\'s Vineyard to
participate in the celebration.
The trio, consisting of musicians who had built an international
reputation, accepted the offer.
Safety Concerns Prompt State Proposal to Ban Truck Traffic Over
Drawbridge
By JAMES KINSELLA Gazette Senior Writer
In an ongoing effort to ease the pounding on the troubled Lagoon
Pond drawbridge, heavy trucks may be routed through the blinker
intersection in Oak Bluffs or even through West Tisbury this summer.
MassHighway plans to ask selectmen in Tisbury and Oak Bluffs to help
designate a truck route to divert such trucks away from the drawbridge,
according to Fred LaPiana, the Tisbury director of public works.
By the time the new permanent Lagoon Pond drawbridge is finished in Vineyard Haven sometime in the next decade, it will be one of the most expensive projects in Vineyard history with a total price tag well north of $30 million. It will also likely go down as the longest gestating project in Island history; the drawbridge plan has been stuck on open for nearly 20 years now.
Construction is beginning on the drawbridge at the entrance to Lagoon Pond, straddling the border between Oak Bluffs and Tisbury. I’d like to bring everyone up to date on the status of the overall project and note some of the issues that the Vineyard community will have to deal with in the coming months.
As you probably recall, MassHighway’s approach is to first build a temporary bridge alongside the existing bridge, in order to reroute traffic. Then, a permanent drawbridge will be built in the alignment of the existing bridge.
Work began this week on the Lagoon Pond drawbridge — a project estimated to cost a total of $31.5 million and reach completion in 2013.
State highway officials plan to first build a temporary bridge for $9 million on the pond side of the current drawbridge, then demolish the existing bridge and build a permanent replacement in its place.
The drawbridge, which was built in 1935 and has been in poor condition for years, is a key link in the Vineyard road system. The bridge also provides crucial access to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in Oak Bluffs.
State highway engineers have begun a new monitoring regime on the Lagoon Pond drawbridge after it apparently shifted on its pilings and would not close, blocking traffic for several hours over the busy Memorial Day weekend.
The bridge was stuck in the open position for about three and a half hours from 5 p.m. on Sunday, forcing traffic to detour along Barnes Road. The malfunction caused traffic jams and delays, and created a substantial backup at the blinker light intersection in Oak Bluffs where many cars were detoured.
