Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation unveiled design plans on Tuesday for the extension of the Independence Greenway in Peabody that will connect disparate parts of the trail and join the entire path with other trails in the area.
Before the presentation got underway in earnest, Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt offered brief remarks, saying the city was excited to be a part of the project and calling the greenway one of the jewels of Peabody.
“It’s utilized by thousands of people each year, and to be able to take the steps to do a couple of extensions is very meaningful,” he said. “I know (they) will be enjoyed by so many… This exciting project is a big step for us. I know there’s a lot of work ahead and any input or any questions and thoughts are very much welcome.”
The project will ultimately cost $14 million for construction alone, with 80% of the money coming from the Federal Highway Administration and the remaining 20% being funded by MassDOT. But that total does not include the cost of any right-of-way acquisitions, which would ultimately be up to the city to foot the bill for. The presentation on Tuesday represented the 25% design phase for the project, with the details likely to shift slightly as it proceeds through the environmental permitting process.
The existing greenway is a 6.1-mile multi-use bike path consisting of 4.6 miles of separated multi-use paths and 1.5 miles of on-street paths. The project discussed Tuesday would replace the on-street path with 1.25 miles of separated multi-use paths, including a pair of bridges over Route 1 and Proctor Brook.
The path comprises three main segments: the first from Lt. Ross Park to Lowell Street, the second from the Route 1 ramp to Bourbon Street, and the final from Lowell Street to Peabody Road. The project would unite those disparate segments into one united path.
To do so, officials propose the construction of the new 1.25-mile stretch, which would vary between 10 and 12 feet in width with two-foot gravel shoulders. The project would also feature a revised lane configuration on Lowell Street, including signal-timing optimization and two pedestrian bridges, one over Route 1 and the other over Proctor Brook.
A pedestrian bridge will be built over Route 1 in Peabody as part of the Independence Greenway project.
The stretch of the trail between Proctor Brook and Clark Road is pushed as far away from the residences in the area as officials deemed possible to avoid disturbances to those properties. That stretch would also feature landscaping that would act as a buffer between the residential area and the trail.
The project would also see a number of improvements made along Lowell Street, not just the signal-timing optimization and revised lane configuration but also signalized pedestrian crosswalks and a widened traffic island.
The first bridge, which would stretch over Route 1, will be a single-span prefabricated steel arch bridge with a bowstring shape, with construction planned during overnight hours to not impact traffic on the bustling highway.
“The bridge can be assembled on the ground in sections before being placed into position, expediting construction time,” said Alessandra Keller, a structural engineer with BSC group, the firm hired by the city to design the project.
The vertical clearance for the bridge is expected to be about 70.5 feet, with a width of 12 feet and pedestrian handrails on either side.
Similarly, a single-span bridge will be built to stretch over Proctor Brook, with Keller again noting the easier construction.
Under current design plans for the project, Peabody would need to acquire eight permanent easements, six temporary easements, and one fee acquisition. The city is responsible for contacting affected property owners, who are entitled to an appraisal and just compensation under state law.
No detours would be planned on Lowell Street or Route 1 to facilitate the construction, with only short-term measures like closed shoulders or lane shifts in place. To place the bridge over Route 1, MassDOT would close one portion of the roadway at a time as the top portion of the bridge is set on its supports.
The project timeline would see the permitting process, which includes approvals at the local, state, and federal levels, completed before summer 2025, with construction beginning in a phased approach in spring 2026, after the project has been advertised.
