HOLYOKE ― The Appleton Street bridge in Holyoke is now closed. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the city got a message from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation saying the bridge over the canal near Heritage State Park had to shut down.

In statement Tuesday, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia said state inspectors found a 20-inch by 12-inch hole in a steel beam called Girder 3, where a layer of protective concrete had fallen off. The state also noted that other parts of the bridge were worn down and missing concrete, making it too risky to keep open, he said.

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