City Needs Land Easements for State to Replace Aging Bridge

The state Department of Transportation is moving forward on a project to replace an aging bridge on Howley Street, but first needs the Peabody City Council to authorize land easements on surrounding properties in order to conduct the work.

The council's Legal Affairs Committee will review those plans and 10 proposed easements at its June 27 meeting. Most of those agreements are temporary, but four are proposed as permanent easements for property owned by the MBTA, A&A Howley Street Realty Trust and 26 Howley Street Trust.

Mayor Ted Bettencourt, in a memo to councilors, said the city solicitor and public services director will update the council on which easements have been acquired for free and which ones will either require payment or authorization to take by eminent domain.

The bridge is surrounded by Stop & Shop, Peabody Glass Co., Allen's Auto Trim, the Holy Ghost Society and a multi-story commercial building. It was first built in 1880 and, according to the state, is eligible to be placed on the National Register for its historical significance as part of the former Peabody Leather Company that once abutted the bridge.

The granite piece of infrastructure is still, however, structurally deficient and is on the state's list of improvement projects. A public hearing with state highway officials was held at City Hall in January.

The estimated construction cost, which will be paid by MassDOT, is $500,000, according to the latest project information available from the state.

The existing bridge, which carries traffic over the North River, will be demolished and replaced with a one- or two-span bridge in the same footprint. The sidewalks will be replaced and upgraded with wheelchair ramps, there will be room for bicycle traffic on the shoulders of the road and steel guard rails will be installed at either end of the bridge.

The design of the project also maintains an eye to the North River canal being widened by several feet in the future if the city pursues its flood mitigation plans. 

Thursday's council meeting is 7 p.m. in Wiggin Auditorium at City Hall.