Morse Street Closed

Driver Cited After Cement Truck Strikes Morse Street Bridge in Norwood, Leaving Catastrophic Damage

A heavy cement truck slammed into the low-clearance Morse Street Bridge in Norwood on Thursday afternoon, causing catastrophic damage to the historic structure and pushing the railroad bridge roughly five feet off its alignment.

“It’s basically almost falling off. It’s pretty intense,” said Michael Rice, who works nearby. “I’ve seen about 50 trucks hit the bridge, but none have moved it. They weren’t cement mixers.”

A Notorious Low-Clearance Hazard

The old, narrow bridge features a particularly low posted clearance of 9 feet, 11 inches, with warning signs displayed on both sides. Over the years, the crossing has been the site of numerous truck collisions-most frequently involving moving and rental trucks at the end of the month.

James Kelly, known locally as the town’s “inspector,” has lived near the bridge for more than 50 years and has witnessed scores of crashes. “It makes a lot of noise, and we all come over here and have a little get together,” Kelly remarked. “He hit that at a good speed. He must have been trying to get up his speed to go through the light… Mostly it’s rental trucks at the end of the month. It’s moving day, they run down and get the rental truck, come whipping over the hill and bang.”

Reflecting on the unusual severity of Thursday’s impact, Kelly added, “Wicked old. Usually, it sounds like an explosion and usually the bridge wins.” But regarding this collision, he noted, “The bridge did not win. The bridge did not win.”

Emergency Response and Citation

Norwood Police and Fire Department personnel responded to the crash scene just after 1 p.m. on Thursday after the Tresca Brothers cement truck, traveling from Washington Street toward Pleasant Street, struck the structure.

First responders found significant damage to both the truck and the bridge. Photos shared on social media by the Norwood Police Department showed that the freight rail tracks running across the top of the bridge had been dramatically shifted by the impact.

The driver of the cement truck was transported to an area hospital as a precaution with non-life-threatening injuries. Norwood Police Chief William Brooks stated that the driver would be cited for failing to abide by posted height signs. State Police launched an investigation into the accident.

Impact on Rail Line and Local Traffic

The freight rail line across the bridge—owned by CSX—is lightly used, serving industrial customers such as CertainTeed located on Pleasant Street near the East Walpole line. CSX representatives indicated they were working on a formal statement regarding the future of the damaged rail line.

In the wake of the crash, Morse Street was closed between Short Street and Pleasant Street while engineers examined the span and conducted repairs. Local businesses, including the Norwood Space Center and Planet Storage, were restricted to access via Short Street or Washington Street in South Norwood for the foreseeable future.

By George Curtis, The Norwood Historical Society