Amesville Bridge work now complete

AMESVILLE — Motorists who rely on the bridge over the Housatonic River between the Amesville section of Salisbury and Falls Village can breathe easier: the work is now finished, according to Salisbury officials.

In recent weeks, drivers had encountered periodic, unannounced closures as crews worked on the span. At the Falls Village Board of Selectmen’s meeting Monday, Nov. 10, a resident noted that no signs had been posted on the Falls Village side to alert motorists when the bridge was closed.

The intermittent closures — along with crews and heavy equipment stationed on the bridge — continued through Wednesday, Nov. 19. By then, a sign on the Falls Village side warned that the road was closed to through traffic, though it did not specifically reference the bridge.

On Thursday morning, Nov. 20, Emily Egan, the Salisbury selectmen’s administrative assistant, confirmed that the project had wrapped up.

“They came in yesterday and told us they were done,” she said.

Egan said the work increased the bridge’s weight capacity to meet current standards.

The structure — known to Salisbury residents as the Amesville Bridge and to Falls Village residents as the Water Street or Iron Bridge — was deemed unsafe by the state Department of Transportation in 2012 and closed for four years. Following extensive planning and debate, a new bridge was constructed and opened in May 2016.