The Hump-Backed Bridge of Walnut Hill

 For those who have been wondering whether the Walnut Hill/ Weed Road bridge will forever be afflicted with the hill it recently acquired, the good news is no, it will not.  There are many changes afoot. 

 The bridge is next on the list of road repairs according to Andrew Morosky,  town engineer.  He explained that a new culvert was installed late last year to accommodate the ever increasing storm flows in Dibble's Brook. (A culvert is a tunnel that allows a stream to pass underneath a road.)

 “The new culvert, as planned, added five extra feet of road width where there once was no road, Morosky said.  “That, coupled with the larger size of the culvert, created the temporary hump that is there today.”

 In order to lessen the existing slope, road work will raise the existing road at the intersection of Weed Road and Walnut Hill Road, Morosky said, adding that that work would “provide a more consistent slope from Weed Road all the way to Farmview Drive.”

  “The goal of raising the road is to improve the safety for all who use it by increasing sight distances. The intersection will be less dangerous than it has been in the past.  Drivers coming out of Weed Road will be able to see further west on Walnut Hill Road and drivers on Walnut Hill Road will be able to see farther ahead in both directions, giving them more of a chance to slow down or stop if there is a problem up ahead," Morosky explained.

 The changes will benefit drivers, bicycle riders, and pedestrians, according to Morosky, who said there is additional preparation necessary before the road can be raised. “We will have to reconstruct the driveway closest to the culvert so that the homeowner ends up with a similar condition to what is there now,” Morosky stated.    

 Work is expected to begin in the next several weeks, once other high priority road and drainage projects are completed, according to Morosky, who said,  "There will be additional site restoration and a new guardrail installed before other road projects slated for this summer will begin. 

 And of course, all of that, Morosky said, is “Weather permitting."