Padanaram Bridge closed from 10 a.m to 5 p.m on Tuesday, April 9 as mechanics worked to repair a component, known as a jack, that broke that morning when the bridge was being lowered. Traffic was diverted while mechanics repaired the bridge. This is not the first time that the bridge has closed due to unforeseen mechanical failures. 

There’s been an ongoing effort to repair or possibly replace Padanaram Bridge. As part of the Municipal Small Bridge Program, in 2022 the state appropriated $2 million that will go toward the design phase of the project, though more money will be needed for the construction phase. 

Padanaram bridge was built in 1935, according to Director of Public Works Tim Barber, who said that repairs like the one on Tuesday are a short-term, “band-aid approach” to the bridge’s aging mechanics. 

Barber said that Tuesday’s repairs are not routine maintenance. The mechanical failure comes just a week after a consultant inspected the bridge as a part of the design phase, which will inform future efforts to repair the bridge.