Construction slows Easthampton traffic

EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - If you drive down Rt. 10 in Easthampton, you've probably noticed the cones, the narrow lanes and the increased traffic.

They're setting up to replace the Northampton Road Bridge over the Manhan River.

A MassDOT spokeswoman told 22News utility companies are working to relocate their power lines. This will allow work crews to take down utility poles that can get in the way of replacing the bridge. 

The project gets underway in June. That's when the bridge will be closed and traffic will be detoured around Pleasant and O'Neill Streets. 

“It's going to be a nightmare from what I can tell, but right now it's not too bad,” said Linda Hewes of Easthampton. “I kind of try and avoid it but sometimes you just can't because I do a lot of business down there.”

The roadway will also be resurfaced 500 feet north and south of the new bridge. An additional turning lane, north of the bridge structure, will be added for entrance to West Street.

The Easthampton Chamber of Commerce has set up a Twitter feed where you can get specifics about the project and the detours. For a link to that feed, click here .