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  1. #1

    Default Iron Bridge on the Housatonic River (Falls Village)

    I was doing a section hike near Falls Village and talked with a workman at the Iron Bridge that crosses the Housatonic River. He said that they were going to start tearing down the bridge the first week of June and the trail would be rerouted. Has anyone else heard about this?

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by baumfamily View Post
    I was doing a section hike near Falls Village and talked with a workman at the Iron Bridge that crosses the Housatonic River. He said that they were going to start tearing down the bridge the first week of June and the trail would be rerouted. Has anyone else heard about this?
    The AWOL guide talks about bridge closures, but not about anything permanent. I was just through FV, and they're doing quite a bit of construction throughout the town.

    I didn't hear anything about the bridge though.

  3. #3

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    This bridge has been closed to traffic for a long time and bridge rehabilitation talked about even longer. When that happens the plan was tp establish a trail relocation down Rt 128 and Dugway Rd (blazed in orange) to cross the river. I haven't heard if the construction was going to start this year or not, but when it cannot be crossed the relocate should go into effect.

  4. #4

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    According to Salisbury's website, the contract bids were set to be opened March 22, contract was to be awarded April 22 and work was to start the next day. Apparently, the low bidder backed out but the contract was to got to the second lowest. The bid requires the bridge to be passable to traffic by December of 2015.
    http://salisburyct.us/node/1120
    There is an update due tomorrow at the regular Board of Selectman's Meeting.
    I would say that you should expect to be doing the roadwalk if you are going through that section after next week. I did the roadwalk in 2009 when the bridge at the South end of that section was being replaced and it was a very hot walk on a toasty August day.

    chris
    Chris "Flash" Gordon
    LT -1987, 2012; West Highland Way & Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland - 2008; AT - 2009

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the updates, I've been wondering about this, though I will admit that I liked it as a pedestrian only bridge, complete with its awesome graffiti.
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  6. #6
    Registered User liptackj's Avatar
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    The latest word I have is that construction to replace the Iron Bridge will begin in "Mid June" and that the contractor will be posting the bypass road-walk down Dugway Rd. As soon as I know for sure when the work will begin (if it hasn't already) I will confirm here. The bypass relocation is the same route used when the state rebuilt the Rt 7 bridge of the Housatonic a couple of years ago. Work is expected to be completed by December 2015.
    Jim Liptack
    CT-AMC Overseer of Trails

  7. #7
    PCT, Sheltowee, Pinhoti, LT , BMT, AT, SHT, CDT, TRT 10-K's Avatar
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    Is this the bridge that is 2 miles or so from Lickdale?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by liptackj View Post
    The latest word I have is that construction to replace the Iron Bridge will begin in "Mid June" and that the contractor will be posting the bypass road-walk down Dugway Rd. As soon as I know for sure when the work will begin (if it hasn't already) I will confirm here. The bypass relocation is the same route used when the state rebuilt the Rt 7 bridge of the Housatonic a couple of years ago. Work is expected to be completed by December 2015.
    Jim Liptack
    CT-AMC Overseer of Trails
    Ick. I did walk when they were rebuilding the rte 7 bridge next to Housatonic Valley Regional School. It's a shame that there isn't a to just reroute that section west of the housatonic and just do away with the bridge crossings...

    I wonder if they will once again paint white blazes on the orange reflective D.O.T. signs and install them for the reroute, that part was hilarious.
    Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.

  9. #9

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    I talked to a power company worker last Friday and they had until the end of this week to install a pole for power for the project.

    I did that road walk during my thru in 2009 when the Rt 7 bridge at the south end was closed. The Rt 112/Dugway Rd road walk was about 3.1 miles. Unfortunately, now with the north end bridge out, it will cut off Falls Village with several businesses from easy trail access. I had several frosty root beers at the package store on a very hot August day after the road walk.

    From the 2009 book:
    Rt 7/112 crossing mm 1478.5
    Iron Bridge (Falls Village) mm 1481.1

    chris
    Chris "Flash" Gordon
    LT -1987, 2012; West Highland Way & Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland - 2008; AT - 2009

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by 10-K View Post
    Is this the bridge that is 2 miles or so from Lickdale?
    This thread is about the bridge in Connecticut. I read somewhere this bridge and the one near Lickdale, PA are almost identical in design.
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  11. #11

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    I stopped by the Iron Bridge in Falls Village yesterday (Sunday 6/14) to see if the bridge was open or closed. There is heavy equipment on both sides of the bridge and though I couldn't see the detour markers on the west side of the river, its pretty clear the bridge will not be able to sustain any pedestrian traffic for a while. Expect the detour to start very soon if not this week.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff View Post
    This thread is about the bridge in Connecticut. I read somewhere this bridge and the one near Lickdale, PA are almost identical in design.
    Let's see if this link to a photo from my WB photo album of the bridge at Swatara Gap (near Lickdale) works--

    Last edited by Rain Man; 06-15-2015 at 08:42.
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  13. #13

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    Posted on another thread earlier today http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...T-closed/page3

    "ATC received this update from the Appalachian Mountain Club - Connecticut Chapter Trails Chair Dave Boone:

    The bridge is officially closed to pedestrian traffic effective 6/17/15. Hikers should follow the signs along the road walk between the iron bridge on Dugway Road, along Route 112, and the junction of Rts 112 & 7.

    If we get more detail I will post it.

    Laurie P.
    ATC"

  14. #14

    Default Linden/Manassas Gap area road construction on VA 55 June 22-26, 2015

    Oops, posted this in the wrote place! I'll start a separate thread.

  15. #15

    Default Details on the Temporary Re-Route around Falls Village due to bridge closure

    Here's what I posted on ATC's trail updates page. This comes from a combination of sources.


    The Iron Bridge (mile 1492.2 from Springer) over the Housatonic River north of Falls Village is officially closed to pedestrian traffic at least until mid-November. A temporary roadwalk will bypass Falls Village on the west side of the Housatonic River.

    Hikers should follow the signs along the road. Northbound directions: at the junction of Rts. 112 & 7, follow Rt. 112/Lime Rock Road west 0.9; turn right (north) on Dugway Road and follow it 2.2 miles north to where it ends at Falls Mountain Road and rejoins the white-blaze route at the west end of the closed iron bridge. This route is 0.5 longer than the 2.6-mile white-blazed route and bypasses all the services in Falls Village.

    If you go into Falls Village you will have to retrace your steps back to Rt. 112 to pick up the A.T. again, as there is no way back to the west side of the Housatonic once the A.T. crosses to the east north of Rt. 112.

    I'm somewhat familiar with this area since I section-hiked the same relo when the bridge on the south end of town was closed to hikers a few years ago in the fall. (I've inserted a photo that shows the start of the relo at the south end).
    Connecticut Falls Village relo to Salisbury 006.jpg

    It's a very pretty roadwalk--I've attached a few photos below. I also day-hiked parts and scouted it out by car when I was driving back from another section-hike in New Hampshire last summer, but if anyone more knowledgable about the area has any suggested edits, please post them here, and I'll update ATC's page as well.

    Laurie P.
    ATC

  16. #16

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    We've been doing Boundary work near there on an easement, and the re-route along Dugway is nice because hikers can stop for a snack at Trinity Episcopal Church and sign the log book, eat your snack, and grab a postcard. Normally it'd be out of the way to do so, and I bet it makes them happy. The walk is shady and along the river, but cars tend to drive fast on it (fitting as Lime Rock race track is nearby), so pay attention!

  17. #17

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    Also, several hikers seem to have been confused about where the re-route goes, which is silly. There are many signs with explicit directions and a map at the trail junctions and TH parking. They are very detailed about what way the trail goes, and the re-route blazes are white on bright orange. Hard to miss. If you still want a good meal, the Mountainside Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch past the redlight following the original trail, and Toymakers is in Falls Village. You could always thumb a ride there and get one back to the reroute. Fording the river is not an option (someone asked me this yesterday).

    Mountainside Cafe:
    251 Route 7 South,

    Falls Village, CT 06031
    www.mountainsidecafe.com
    Breakfast & Lunch:
    Mon - Fri, 7am to 3pm
    Brunch:
    Sat & Sun, 7am to 3pm
    Dinner:
    Fri & Sat, 5pm to 9pm
    WhiteHollowFarmEasement (1).JPG


  18. #18
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    I was wondering about that. The time I was there earlier this year, you could easily rock-hop across the river right at the damn, but I didn't look to see if there was any easy access to get down from the eastern bank down to the area by the dam.

  19. #19

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    A brief update from reading a couple of Town meeting minutes posted online.
    There have been delays that have pushed the finish date from 12/15/2015 to an unknown date. However, the unseasonably warm weather has allowed the construction crews to continue working beyond the 12/1 deadline for certain types of work that are cold weather sensitive (concrete, paint, paving).

    chris
    Chris "Flash" Gordon
    LT -1987, 2012; West Highland Way & Cape Wrath Trail, Scotland - 2008; AT - 2009

  20. #20
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    Thanks for the update. I was over there last year for a photo shoot, and then a few months ago for some geocaching and was wondering how long this was going to take.
    “If there’s one thing the AT teaches, it is low-level ecstasy—something we could all do with more of in our lives.”

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