You are here
Seekonk Land Conversation Trust - Pedestrian Bridge
The Seekonk Land Conservation Trust owns and manages the Martin Refuge, a forested tract of land in Seekonk, MA. The parcel is bisected by the Runnins River and contains a dammed segment of the River known as Burr’s Pond. A timber bridge (shown above) formerly spanned the Runnins River at the Pond inlet and provided the only link between pedestrian trails on either side of Burr’s Pond. The bridge was used extensively over the years for walking and fishing, but it had deteriorated significantly, showing indication of advanced rot accompanied by termite and carpenter-ant intrusion within its primary structural members. The bridge was secured to each riverbank by field-stone abutments and was supported in the middle by a center, stone pier located in the river. Caputo and Wick Ltd. was retained to provide a structural analysis and to provide recommendations for either repair or replacement. Our assessment included a review of its underside from within the river, and we concluded that the only alternative available was replacement. The bridge deck measured 10 feet wide by 52 feet long, but the Land Conservation Trust decided to reconstruct the bridge to a significantly-reduced width. As part of our continued services, we coordinated with the Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations, photographically documented the structure, field delineated wetland resource areas, conducted a topographic and bridge survey, coordinated with the local building official, studied viable equipment access routes, prepared demolition and construction sequences, sized structural timber replacement members, designed a code-compliant replacement structure (structural details are shown below), conducted the required wetlands permitting through MassDEP and the Town of Seekonk Conservation Commission, and assisted in bidding and contractor coordination. The pre-existing bridge has been demolished, but the replacement structure has yet to be constructed.
