Charlie Breitrose
Installation of the new pedestrian bridge over the Charles River in Watertown has been pushed back. The footing of the bridge can be seen in this photo.
Originally scheduled to be installed in November, the debut of the new pedestrian bridge over the Charles River has been pushed back to December at the earliest.
Conservation Commission Chairman Leo Martin provided an update on the project during the board’s meeting last week. Martin spoke to officials from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which oversees the Charles and the area around it.
“The problem is the fabrication of the bridge is ongoing,” Martin said. “Originally a firm from North Carolina was supposed to build it. They threw them out and hired a firm in Boston.”
The new Joseph Thompson Pedestrian Bridge, which will be constructed in two parts, must be galvanized, painted and then installed, Martin said. Two large cranes, one on each side of the river, will lower the two pieces into place, he said. It will go in the same spot that the former bridge was located, west of Watertown Square, past the Watertown Dam. One end is near the DCR’s Dealtry Pool.
When this will happen is not clear, said Assistant Town Manger Steve Magoon.
“Originally it was November, now they are saying December,” Magoon said. “So it may be January.”
The installation may require removal of some trees, Martin said. At least one is expected to be taken down on the Pleasant Street (north) side of the river. It will be replaced, Martin said.
Disappointing, but not surprising, news.
An April “finished install” would not surprise me given the ineptness
this project has demonstrated.
Right, and the tree replacement. Given how the Town has failed to
deal with the dead tree they planted in front of my home (I paid
the requested $100) I have no faith they will be successful on the
first try to replace removed tree(s).
We should not tolerate such mendacity.
Well, today is April 1 and absolutely no movement on the bridge.
Today is May 14, 2018. A little work had been going on at the site, but has now stopped. No sight of a bridge coming anytime soon. Even if it came tomorrow there is no way it would be open for July 4th.
So sad,.this article was talking December. Another job poorly executed by useless government employees.
Poster child for mismanagement and corruption.
People should be investigated and fired for this.
It should have been finished last year.
The new bridge should have been made even before the removal of the old one.
It even could have been put temporarily in place next to the original then moved over when the bases were complete.
Please investigate!
Major failure. It used to be a good view when you were on the old bridge. Not so with the new bridge since adults can not see over the bridge’s rails and nobody can see through the side of the bridge.