New bridge on Cape Cod: Fun facts about Wellfleet's river-crossing span
WELLFLEET — The drive along Chequessett Neck Road, already a scenic delight with huge views of Wellfleet Harbor and Cape Cod Bay, just got a little more interesting.
A temporary bridge spanning the Herring River opened at the end of March as part of the Herring River restoration project. It's one-lane wide, so traffic can only flow in one direction at a time. A traffic light system has been installed to keep motorists safe as they travel to and from popular Wellfleet spots like the Great Island Trail and Duck Harbor Beach.
A pedestrian bridge is affixed to the side of the temporary bridge, allowing bicyclists and pedestrians to cross — it also offers great views of the Herring River. Signs on either side of the span say "Walk Bikes Across Birdge," (yes, a misspelling, but you get the idea).
Why is the temporary bridge needed?
The opening of the temporary bridge allows work to move ahead on an adjacent permanent bridge that will eventually allow tidal flow to be restored to the Herring River. The permanent bridge will replace a dike (constructed in 1909) that restricts the flow of water upstream.
According to the Cape Cod National Seashore, increasing tidal flow will "bring saltwater back to the river and return it to the thriving and ecologically productive estuary it was for thousands of years before the dike was built."
When will the permanent bridge be finished?
In an email to the Cape Cod Times, Wes Stinson, project manager for Environmental Partners, the company that is overseeing the ongoing bridge construction wrote that "we’re aiming for substantial completion of the permanent bridge by late 2025 with full completion by spring of 2026."
Stinson also provided some interesting facts about the temporary bridge, listed below.
Wellfleet temporary bridge fun facts
Type: Steel truss bridge manufactured by Acrow.
Span: 320 feet total, composed of two 100-foot spans and two 60-foot spans.
Road width: 13.5 feet.
Height: At an approximate elevation of 10 feet.
Abutments: two at either shore.
Piers: three.
Steel pipe piles: eight 24-inch diameter piles per pier (24 total) driven into the river bed.
Total amount of concrete in abutments and piers: 216 cubic yards.
Total rebar in temporary bridge piers and abutments: 21,000 lbs.
Temporary stormwater drain system: incorporated into the bridge.
Bridge operations
One-way alternating traffic.
Stop light at either side.
Signal Sequence:
30-seconds Green/Red
30-seconds Red/Red
30-seconds Red/Green
30-seconds Red/Red
Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X: @capecast.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod bridge construction: Temporary Wellfleet span crosses river
