City councilors took a hard look at the condition of the Basiliere Bridge, between Haverhill and Bradford, at last night’s Council Meeting. Councilor Joseph J. Bevilacqua expressed the need for more information regarding the condition of the bridge and a timetable for repair work.
Bevilacqua pointed out that the bridge is clearly in poor shape and he is concerned about the safety of the people that have to use it, a concern echoed by Councilor Timothy J. Jordan.
“I guess I’m just amazed that as bad a shape as it seems to be, it seems like we’re rolling the dice with everybody’s safety by pushing it off to 2024,” he said.
That is the year the state has said will be the earliest it will be able to begin replacement of the aging structure. Back in 2016, WHAV reported on the deteriorating condition of the bridge and quoted officials who said repairs would likely exceed $64 million—a figure, officials say, will almost certainly go up as time progresses.
The Council agreed to send letters to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation as well as to state and federal agencies requesting that they expedite the timetable if at all possible.