Haverhill’s downtown commuter rail station reopens Monday now that a railroad bridge replacement on the other side of the Merrimack River is complete.
The station closed a year ago to reduce the number of interruptions needed to replace the South Elm Street railroad bridge which runs above the intersection of Laurel Avenue and South Elm and Blossom Streets. A new bridge was “slid in” to place at the beginning of the month. Mayor Melinda E. Barrett applauded the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for keeping its promise.
“We’re very happy that the job was completed on schedule and that we get our Haverhill station back and available to our traveling public and the folks that wan’t to use the MBTA,” the mayor told WHAV.
Keolis Commuter Services, which operates and maintains commuter rail, said shuttle vans in service between the Haverhill and Bradford stations will also cease operating Monday when the station reopens.
When the MBTA revealed early last year the downtown station would temporarily close, Barrett, along with Ward 1 City Councilor Ralph T. Basiliere and area legislators, successfully argued for the shuttle service, which enabled commuters to use the downtown station parking lot.
“It proved itself necessary at many points during the last year. It was during construction of the Procopio (apartment) building and the construction of the railroad bridge. Parking was at a premium in Bradford so the shuttle came in handy,” Barrett explained.
Basiliere said shuttles proved invaluable to those living in veterans’ housing downtown and who rely on the train to get to Boston medical appointments.
“A half a mile walk for someone who’s elderly, disabled and ill is just literally a bridge too far,” he said.
The nearly 120-year-old South Elm Street bridge was replaced with a modern single-span structure with a ballasted steel deck which the MBTA said provides a smoother ride for passengers. The MBTA also performed roadway, sidewalk and drainage improvements along South Elm Street.