Joseph E. Muller Bridge | |
Image Upright: | 1.3 |
Crosses: | Connecticut River |
Locale: | South Hadley, Hampshire County to Holyoke, Massachusetts, Hampden County; Massachusetts |
Maint: | Massachusetts Highway Department |
Id: | H210350VPMHDNBI |
Design: | multi-stringer Girder and Floorbeam system |
Material: | Steel |
Spans: | 7 |
Length: | 440.1m (1,443.9feet) |
Width: | 19.2m (63feet) |
Load: | 52 Metric Tons |
Traffic: | 23,491 (2018)[1] |
Open: | 1958 |
Coordinates: | 42.2161°N -72.6078°W |
The Joseph E. Muller Bridge is a crossing of the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts, connecting the communities of Holyoke and South Hadley. The bridge carries U.S. Route 202 (US 202).
The bridge was constructed in 1958 as part of a new bypass of U.S. Route 202 (Purple Heart Drive). The bypass was built in anticipation of increased traffic through downtown Holyoke heading towards South Hadley from Interstate 91, which was under construction at the time. Prior to the construction of the bridge, Route 202 used the nearby South Hadley Falls bridge (Vietnam Memorial Bridge) to cross the Connecticut River.
The bridge was named as a memorial to Holyoke native Joseph E. Muller, a recipient of the Medal of Honor.