Design of Replacement Basiliere Bridge in Haverhill Focus of April 3 Public Workshop

Eamon Kernan, MassDOT project manager. (WHAV News photograph.)

A workshop, focusing on the appearance of a future Pfc. Ralph T. Basiliere Bridge over the Merrimack River, is set to take place the first week of April.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is having its second public meeting on the three-year bridge replacement project Monday, April 3, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Haverhill Public Library’s Johnson Auditorium, 99 Main St.

As only WHAV reported earlier this month, Eamon Kernan, MassDOT project manager, said no part of the existing bridge can be saved, but it is possible one of the bridge’s iconic towers could be placed near the rail trail.

“If we can take one of these towers off and move it, maybe over to the Bradford Rail Trail or somewhere else in the general area so that it is not lost completely and the history part of it is kept,” he explained.

Officials expect to keep two lanes of traffic open at all times during construction of the estimated $150 million replacement bridge between downtown Haverhill and Bradford. It is scheduled to be complete in 2027.

“MassDOT is in the process of setting a series of important parameters for the new bridge including bridge type and appearance, lane configuration, on-bridge bicycle and pedestrian accommodations and how connections will be made to the (Rep. Brian S.) Dempsey Boardwalk and (James J. Fiorentini) Bradford Rail Trail,” reads a statement.

The workshop will provide attendees with an opportunity to work informally in small groups with project leadership and design team.

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