Partial demolition of the South Elm Street railroad overpass will force drivers below to detour Friday and Saturday nights.
Closings to automobile traffic underneath between Railroad and Laurel Avenue take place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 11 and 12, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night.
As WHAV has reported for several years, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority—or MBTA—is replacing the 1906 railroad bridge with a modern single-span structure expected to last 75 years. The $20.3 million replacement, bolstered by a more than $7.6 million federal grant, will include a ballasted steel deck for a smoother passenger ride and roadway, sidewalk and drainage improvements along South Elm Street. The bridge is used for freight, Amtrak’s Downeaster service and the MBTA’s commuter rail service between Boston and Haverhill.
The project became controversial last spring when MBTA officials said for the first time that the downtown Haverhill train station would close to commuter rail for the duration of the project. No explicit explanation was provided about why Amtrak passengers can use the downtown station, but not local commuters.
Back in June, however, Haverhill Mayor Melinda E. Barrett said the MBTA agreed to her request for a shuttle between the Haverhill and Bradford stations.