Bridge, December 1979. |
Abandonment of the 56 year-old Hope Street Bridge will ring down the curtain of a bit of history that was peculiar to this town. The proposal to eliminate the structure rather than expend more than $77,000 on repairs will be up for a town- wide vote at the March Town Meeting. The bridge was constructed in 1902 by Giacomo Cenedella, contractor, at a cost of $37,500. It is 1214 feet long, and its steel work extends for 695 feet. he bridge surface is wooden, and wooden sidewalks line both sides, with a heavy iron railing protecting users along its whole length. The bridge is believed to be the only one of its type in New England. It enables traffic to flow over the Grafton & Upton Railroad tracks, used by Draper Corporation. It links two sections of town as the fastest means of access. Another route is available over the Freedom Street Bridge, around the Draper plant, and from Mendon Street, over a dirt road which leads to the large Draper factory parking lot off Hope Street. Traffic counters in operation on the Hope Street Bridge have totaled up the passage of 705 vehicles during an average 24-hour period. This contrasts with 1783 vehicles over the Freedom Street Bridge. The committee assigned to investigate the situation came up with a detailed report, proposing to build an extension of Adin Street that would cross the G & U tracks, affording entry into the Hope and Cemetery Street area. The Milford Daily News article above then gives the complete report of the committee, detailing the causes and degree of deterioration of the bridge, cost of repair and upkeep, and alternatives to saving the bridge. The full report can be found at the Bancroft Memorial Library or the Milford Library in the article printed in the Milford News on June 16, 1958. The bridge was closed to vehicles for many years and finally dismantled in 1979. Discussion of what to do about the bridge had gone on and on for years. Many articles on the matter can be found in the Milford News. Now and Then - The Hope Street Bridge Short Stories Menu HOME . |
The bridge during the 1955 flood. |