Drawbridge Committee Advocates Outside Study

By James Kinsella

Over the objections of the county engineer, the Lagoon Pond Drawbridge Committee on Wednesday recommended that Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs fund an $11,700 study of what, if anything, can be done to prolong the use of the existing drawbridge.

Against a backdrop of increasing doubt, state highway officials this week promised to complete temporary repairs to the Lagoon Pond drawbridge in t

MassHighway officials say they will put plans for a temporary replacement for the Lagoon Pond drawbridge on hold until Island residents decide whether to nurse the existing bridge along until a new permanent structure is built.

The state agency also says it will involve the Island in the design of a new permanent bridge at the outset of the planning process - a departure from previous department policy of consulting residents only after plans have been drafted.

At a public hearing on Monday, MassHighway officials told Islanders to expect the temporary drawbridge across Lagoon Pond to stay in place for six years.

Stunned at the prospect, Islanders immediately urged the project engineers to finalize a design for the new drawbridge before beginning construction on a temporary replacement.

It is 9:20 a.m., low tide, and a mild breeze is blowing across the Lagoon Pond drawbridge. Light from the eastern sky skips across the pond until it reaches the bridge's shadow, which darkens the outer harbor. The hum of the drawspan, which vibrates with traffic, has stopped. There is only the water below, lapping against the timber spiles.