State Says Rocks Village Drawbridge, between Haverhill and West Newbury, Must Remain Closed

State officials closed the Rocks Village Drawbridge March 17, between Haverhill and West Newbury. (Mike Jarvis photograph for WHAV News.)

The Rocks Village Drawbridge, between Haverhill and West Newbury, will remain closed until a repair plan is complete.

The bridge was damaged when it was struck Thursday morning by an over height tractor trailer combination. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said last night an initial inspection of the portion of the bridge where the crash occurred found “significant damage to several key structural components.”

“The bridge will remain fully closed to vehicular and marine traffic pending completion of a comprehensive inspection, including areas on the underside of the structure, to evaluate and confirm the full extent of the damage. The bridge will not reopen throughout the duration of the design and implementation of a corrective action plan,” the department said in a statement.

Officials added the bridge is normally closed to marine traffic through Memorial Day, so no immediate marine impacts are expected.

The Rocks Village Drawbridge over the Merrimack River was also damaged in 2019 after a vehicle carrying a dumpster tipped over. It sustained more damage in 2020 when an overhead truss on the movable span was struck and damaged by another over-height vehicle. During repairs that year, traffic was detoured over the Bates Bridge, along Routes 97 and 113, in Groveland.

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