On Wednesday, Jan. 22, the Main Street Bridge in Peterborough will be reduced to one inbound lane from Route 202 and Concord Street.
This partial closure was initiated in response to recent inspection reports showing extreme deterioration to the structure of the bridge, rendering it unsafe for full use. For those who may not know, the bridge has been red-listed for more than 20 years– yes, you read that right. Over time, the weight restriction on the bridge has been lowered to where it currently allows vehicles not to exceed three tons. That’s basically the weight of your passenger vehicle. To say that the situation is dire is an understatement.
The good news is that on Jan. 15, Town Meeting voted to bond the additional funds needed to move forward on the Main Street Bridge replacement project, which we expect will begin within the next 60 to 90 days. Between now and then, the bridge will allow traffic one-way into town. Drivers will need to use other routes to exit downtown Peterborough. Once the project is fully underway, the bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic. Walkers and cyclists will have access to a new pedestrian bridge for crossing during the construction, which is scheduled to complete on or about October 2021.
We know this project will be an inconvenience for those who regularly use the bridge and for the downtown businesses who depend on them. Traffic will be rerouted from Route 202 to downtown via Grove Street, Summer Street, and Elm Street. Extensive signage will clearly help travelers make their way downtown by alternate routes. A banner will be displayed at the entrance to Grove Street at the Routes 101/202 intersection directing folks downtown.
We trust that those of us who regularly frequent local merchants will continue to do so, and that those who come for day trips won’t turn around and go home because there’s one less way into town.
The Select Board and town staff plan to do everything possible to support our downtown businesses during this project. We want all of our beloved shops, restaurants and businesses to be there when the bridge reopens. Many shop owners have expressed concern that this project will put them out of business.
We can’t let that happen. If we all continue to shop, bank, dine, and be entertained as usual, then it won’t.
Let us all come together to help bridge the challenges ahead.
The Peterborough Select Board
Tyler Ward, Chair
Karen Hatcher
Bill Taylor