Beverly Hall-Whitaker Bridge Replacement Project Update

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly residents looking for an update on the ongoing construction of a temporary Hall-Whitaker Drawbridge to replace the bridge that has been closed for more than five years could get some answers within the next month.

The state Department of Transportation said a public, in-person information meeting will be held on Oct. 8 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Beverly Middle School. The meeting will also include an update on the permanent replacement of the Hall-Whitaker and the replacement of the adjacent Kernwood Avenue Bridge.

• Beverly Temporary Hall-Whitaker Bridge To Open In 2027: MassDOT

• Beverly-Salem Kernwood Bridge Closes For 6-Week Repair Window

MassDOT District 4 Highway Director Paul Steadman said during the last public forum in January that the temporary Hall-Whitaker remained on track to be in place by the fall of 2027. Work on both bridges was expected to continue for about eight more years with both permanent bridges set to be open for travel by 2033.

The Hall-Whitaker Bridge remains open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic, with officials saying that will continue to be the case until the temporary bridge opens to all traffic in 2027.

Once the temporary Hall-Whitaker Bridge opens, the original Hall-Whitaker Bridge will be closed and dismantled with construction on that permanent bridge expected to be complete in 2033, at which time the temporary bridge will be dismantled.

MassDOT officials said both new permanent bridges are being designed at a higher elevation to both account for climate change and sea-level rise, and also to minimize the amount of time that the bridges need to be opened and closed to traffic to allow for marine passage.

MassDOTofficials said the new bridges will have about a 75-year expected lifespan "and with maintenance projects that life could certainly be extended."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)