Route 6 bridge construction to fully resume
The bridge repair work on Route 6 is set to fully resume following a pause in July. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni
The construction project timeline may need to be extended.
MassDOT is working with Mass Wildlife as construction continues.
The bridge repair work on Route 6 is set to fully resume following a pause in July. Photo by Tanvi Kulkarni
The construction project timeline may need to be extended.
MassDOT is working with Mass Wildlife as construction continues.
MARION — Work on the Route 6 bridge over the Weweantic River is set to fully resume in the upcoming weeks, after construction halted work after crews found diamondback terrapin breeding grounds nearby.
The bridge was structurally deficient and is being repaired for reliability and resiliency, according to a February 2025 MassDOT presentation.
In July, construction on the projects was delayed to protect the nesting habitats of diamondback terrapins, a threatened species, on the banks of the Weweantic River. The state required all areas that could be used for nesting be evaluated and cleared before construction can resume.
According to MassDOT Communications Analyst John Goggin, construction resumed following discussion with Mass Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
In the meantime, the department is working with Mass Wildlife to develop a state endangered species conservation and management permit and a revised turtle protection plan for the project.
Work will fully resume in the coming weeks, and MassDOT is currently unsure whether the project will extend beyond the original completion date of December 2028, Goggin said.
Prior to the pause, a contractor installed erosion controls, temporary earth support and began demolition. In the upcoming weeks, the crew will continue with bridge demolition and foundation and wall construction.
