Brookline's 100-Year-Old Davis Path Pedestrian Footbridge Closed

BROOKLINE, MA — The Davis Path Pedestrian Footbridge has carried pedestrians over the D line in Brookline Village for more than 100 years. Last week it was quietly closed due to structural deficiencies found during a study of it, according to town officials Thursday night.

Davis Path begins on White Place and ends at Boylston Street across from Lincoln School where Walnut Path picks up and links the neighborhood west of Brookline Village with Boylston Street and Boylston Street Playground at Route 9.

"We understand the importance this bridge has for our community, as it provides a critical link to schools and parks, as well as commercial and municipal centers," Town Administrator Mel Kleckner said in a statement. "Closing the footbridge is a proactive step meant to protect the safety of pedestrians and train traffic alike, and we will work diligently to identify and develop options for repairing or replacing it as soon as possible."

The footbridge was closed to pedestrians on April 13 after the town's structural engineering consultant, LiRo Group, determined that the bridge posed a potential hazard.

Residents who frequent the Boylston Street Playground say the bridge steps have been repaired a number of times throughout the years, but, despite the town's best efforts, they've noticed the deterioration.

"It's time for something drastic," said Lauren Gourlay who brings her dog to the park on their daily walks.

Whether that involves a whole new bridge or repairing the existing one, she's not sure.

The bridge can get a little tricky to maneuver in the winter, she said.

Town officials closed the bridge immediately after inspectors notified them of the potential danger to users and the MBTA green line tracks below, "out of an abundance of caution," they said.

An assessment of the bridge was undertaken earlier this year in an effort to create an early action plan to address critical issues and assess whether it should be restored or rehabilitated.

LiRo is working to develop options the town can take to reinforce the bridge, as well as other options to ensure safe operations of the MBTA green line with minimal disruption, according to town officials. LiRo will also bring recommendations and cost estimates for permanent repair, renovation of reconstruction.

Brookline has been in communication with representatives from the MBTA and will consult with members of the public in what they promise will be a transparent process.

Select Board and Town Meeting will decide budgeting and expending funds.

The footbridge and path were once named Walnut, before being changed in 124 for the Davis family, who lived at the corner of Washington and Davis Streets in 1760, according to the Brookline Historical Society.

The original stone bridge was designed in 1911 by J.R. Worcester & Co., according to Linda Olson Pehlke, who wrote a book on Brookline's path network.

Pehlke, a Town Meeting Member from Precinct 2, said she hopes what ever happens, thetown honors the bridge's history.

"I care a great deal about retaining historical features of the path, for instance there used to be one of those raised aluminum historic street signs marking the path," Pehlke told Patch. "It went missing during the redevelopment. Sometimes new ways of doing things and contemporary materials are deployed during path maintenance that can basically end up looking strange and out of place and are dated almost before the work is complete. Case in point, Gardner Path utilized 'floating tread' stairs and aluminum hand rails. This was unfortunate, cast iron would have been more appropriate for the hand rails. "

According to the Brookline Historical Society's Ken Liss, the last time there was major work on the bridge was about a decade ago.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).