DEERFIELD — After waiting several days for the Deerfield River to recede, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation inspected the Stillwater Bridge’s pillars and gave it the go-ahead to reopen.

MassDOT closed the bridge Monday out of an abundance of caution for the structural integrity of the bridge’s pillars as at least two inches of rain fell in Deerfield and several more inches upstream swelled the river.

Agency officials were on the bridge both Tuesday and Wednesday, however, and river conditions prevented divers from getting into the water due to its “velocity and amount of debris present,” according to MassDOT spokesperson Jacquelyn Goddard.

On Thursday, Goddard reported the MassDOT diving inspection team found the Deerfield River’s flooding resulted in no damage to the Stillwater Bridge and it was cleared to be opened.

Deerfield Police Chief John Paciorek Jr. and Highway Superintendent Kevin Scarborough announced the bridge’s reopening in a townwide alert Thursday after 2 p.m.

In recent years, the bridge’s load-bearing capacity has been reduced due to the deteriorating condition of critical aspects of the bridge, including its piers, bearings and steel beams.

In December, MassDOT held a public hearing to discuss the 25% design of the 73-year-old bridge’s replacement, which is currently slated for 2026. The $23 million project is expected to be covered by $18 million in federal money and $4.5 million from Massachusetts’ State Transportation Improvement Program.

In the December hearing, Project Manager Christopher Cameron said the Stillwater Bridge is structurally sound, however “high-flooding events like Hurricane Irene” have damaged it over the years.

The bridge previously closed for approximately one month in October 2016 when an inspection found the underwater portions of one of the piers had suffered scour damage from the river and could have potentially failed. Over the course of a month, MassDOT divers were able to repair the damage.

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