In the News
Concord Monitor: Concord clears major hurdle for Sewalls Falls Bridge replacementConcord clears major hurdle for Sewalls Falls Bridge replacement
Washington, DC,
October 9, 2013
|
Laura McChrystal
While the city waited, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster sought to expedite the process. Shaheen and Kuster wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx in July, requesting quick action by the federal government. And they visited the bridge together last month for a tour with city officials. In statements yesterday, Shaheen and Kuster said they were glad to see progress.
Concord officials have cleared a stumbling block in plans to replace the Sewalls Falls Bridge. A key document signed by state and city officials this week allows the city to move forward and design a new bridge. The memo states that while the 100-year-old steel truss bridge is historically significant, officials will discuss ways to document its history rather than block its replacement. That is a “critical milestone” in efforts to replace the aging bridge, Deputy City Manager for Development Carlos Baia wrote in an email to the mayor and city councilors. City officials had expressed concern this summer that a federal historical review process was taking longer than expected and would delay construction. Engineers also determined that the one-lane bridge over the Merrimack River was deteriorating and only safe for passenger vehicles. Ambulances stopped traveling over the bridge when its weight limit was reduced to 3 tons in August, increasing emergency response times to East Concord. To read more, click here. |