Massachusetts’ last wooden drawbridge faces uncertain future if not designated historic.

A Bridge to the Past

Editorial| Cape Cod Times | June 23, 2010

Chatham — The Mitchell River Bridge in Chatham is the last timber drawbridge of its kind- not just in Massachusetts, but in the entire country. The fact alone should be enough to support saving the wooden structure.

Ever since the original bridge was built in 1854 to connect Tom’s Neck with the main part of town, it has been an important historical link for the Community.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation wants to replace the wooden bridge with a wider wood-mimicking steel and concrete structure with a macadam surface. The DOT has allocated funds to build a spac that is supposed to last for most of the rest of this century.

Opponents of the redesign believe…

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