Newton-Needham Bridge to Reopen This Month

By Alex Newman (Patch Staff)

NEEDHAM, MA – Five months and countless backups later, Cook's Bridge is set to reopen.

The channel connecting Elliot Street in Newton to Central Avenue in Needham has been closed for improvements since July. And while commuters were aware of the inconvenience the detours would pose and businesses on either side knew they might take a hit, according to the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber the backups from diverted traffic were the real killers.

That will soon be behind drivers, as the bridge is set to open in mid-December, the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber announced Monday. The chamber will hold a parade across the bridge to celebrate the reopening on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 11 a.m. to noon.

The rehabilitation project, funded by Newton and Needham, sought to reinforce the bridge for the next 75 years and make it more pedestrian-friendly. The design used reinforce concrete to top the original stones and prevent them from moving, while maintaining the historic facade.

The bridge is slated to be fully open to traffic with one sidewalk completed by mid-December; the second sidewalk and other cosmetic work will be finished in the spring.

Image via Shutterstock