When Will the Maskwonicut Street Bridge Reopen?

The Maskwonicut Street Amtrak bridge that was closed Feb. 20 due to electrical issues is expected to reopen at the end of March.

“That would be the end of the freeze/thaw season,” Sharon Town Engineer Peter O'Cain said. “The problem there is during certain weather conditions icicles form underneath the bridge and if they short out to the high voltage lines of the Amtrak it can cause a shorting situation to the bridge itself and just to protect the public we’re just going to close it until the weather conditions prohibit that from happening.”

Crews worked to fix the electrical issue and repair boards that were damaged on the bridge. As of Tuesday there is currently no construction going on at the bridge, but it will remain closed as a precaution.

“MassDOT and Amtrak actually need to work out how we’re going to proceed on this situation. The town doesn’t have control over the bridge. We’re working with them on that,” he said.

O'Cain said the issue arises annually at the bridge, but the impact largely depends on the amount of snowfall and rain in a given winter.

He said in the spring the town is going to install drains before the bridge to try to prevent the formation of the icicles in the future.