Chance of an isolated thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 58F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Chance of an isolated thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with more showers at times. Low 58F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

The Rocks Village Bridge, seen from the West Newbury side of the Merrimack River.

The Rocks Village Bridge, seen from the West Newbury side of the Merrimack River.

WEST NEWBURY — Rocks Village Bridge renovations can continue, according to a memo issued late last month by the state Historical Commission.

But it remains unclear to local officials – and to the public – just when work on the historic span will be completed and it will reopen to car, truck, pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

“Review of the proposed plan indicates that the bridge repairs and new signage will meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation,” stated Brona Simon, state historic preservation officer for Massachusetts Historical Commission in a letter to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation dated Aug. 30.

“MHC has determined that the proposed project will have ‘no adverse effects’ on the Rocks Bridge or the Rocks Village Historic District,” Simon’s letter concluded.

For the third time in the past four yearsm, the bridge, which connects the town to Haverhill over the Merrimack River, was shut down when a large truck struck it midway March 17. The crash caused significant damage to sections on both sides of the truss and the lateral bracing connecting the two sides.

Phase 1 of the multi-phased repair project – a temporary fix to allow the bridge’s swing span to open for marine traffic – was completed May 27. In July, temporary support for the swing span on the bridge fender system using timber blocking and jacks was in place.

But in a memo to the town dated Aug. 11, Daniel Fielding of MassDOT reported that his department had “recently become aware of the need to file a project notification form with the Massachusetts Historical Commission for the permanent repair work and that the emergency repair work could not continue concurrently with their review.”

The assumption was that work on the damaged bridge would halt for 30 days while the state and local historic commissions reviewed the plans. The review is a legal requirement of which the MassDOT says it was unaware.

Local officials have received no information from the state as to when work on the bridge will resume nor what the new timeline is for completion and reopening.

“There’s been active correspondence regarding (MassDOT’s) proposed advance warning signage … but nothing on the work status or project timeline,” said Town Manager Angus Jennings when reached Thursday.

The Select Board will discuss proposed signage at its next meeting Monday. Police Chief Michael Dwyer had also heard nothing from the state. Attempts to reach MassDOT for comment last week were unsuccessful.

Simon confirmed receipt of a project notification form from MassDOT on Aug. 8; comments from the Rocks Village Historic District on Aug. 22; and from West Newbury Historic Commission on Aug. 23.

The state favors installing regional and local signage, road pavement markings, and horizontal warning chains at the approach to the bridge on either side that would alert drivers if their vehicle made contact.

But given the numerous times local residents have been inconvenienced by overheight trucks causing damage when attempting to cross the bridge illegally, leaders in Haverhill and West Newbury have asked Gov. Charlie Baker to direct MassDOT to enact a permanent truck restriction.

The repeated closures cause extreme headaches and economic stress for many commuters, students and teachers from the Pentucket Regional School District and Whittier Vocational Technical High School, and businesses on either side of the bridge.

The span is listed in the state and national registries of Historic Places and is located within the Rocks Village Historic District, which is also listed in the state registry.

According to a MCH survey report, the Rocks Village Bridge was first constructed in 1795 in the same location as the old ferry at “Holt’s Rocks.”

Known at the time as the Rocks/Merrimack Bridge and supported by five piers and two abutments, it was the longest of all bridges spanning the river during that era.

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