some good news, for a change

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

The Lowell Street Bridge has re-opened after eight years of being closed.

Comments

[spatch]

Such a day I thought would never come! Amazing!

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

yeah, you and a lot of other people....

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I've been assuming for years that it would just never re-open to cars. Love the article, though.

"Carlisle did not call the Journal Wednesday."

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

yeah, I just assumed it had remained closed due to the opposition of the local residents to its re-opening.

[turil.livejournal.com]

And by closed, you mean closed to automobile traffic.

Sorry. Pet pieve of mine. The bridge has been open to me every time I've gone over it in the past, so I've never considered it closed.

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

You sir, are a brave man.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Hmmm? That's an odd comment for a couple of reasons. One, I'm a woman! And two, why would it take bravery to cross an open bridge?

[ocschwar.livejournal.com]

Prior to the repairs, that bridge was really unsound. Though I do abjectly apologize for the gender libel.

[ron_newman]

It was unsound for motorized traffic, which is why it was closed. However, it was still perfectly fine for pedestrians and cyclists.

(On the other hand, I managed to fall off my bike, and crack two ribs, back in December when the temporary pedestrian bridge was still in place. The combination of two sharp turns and an incline was quite treacherous.)

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

erk. hope you're feeling better.....

[ah42.livejournal.com]

*finally*

But man... I'll be so confused. It was closed when I first moved to Somerville, and I don't know it any other way!

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

My GPS will be grateful. It keeps trying to route me over it.

[ron_newman]

Did you ever try riding your motorcycle over it while it was closed (before construction started)? I bet you could have gotten around the barriers.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Nah, never did....

My bike is large, and heavy. (1200cc, 460-ish lbs.) If the barriers made you dump your bicycle, my motorcycle probably wouldn't have made it either. I'd've had a tough time explaining that one to the cops.

[ron_newman]

It wasn't the barriers on the old bridge that made me fall off my bike. It was the sharp turn and incline on the temporary pedestrian bridge, very possibly with some ice mixed in.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

erk. yeah, I've ridden through a road or two on a motorcycle that was theoretically closed to vehicle traffic before. Usually it was a combination of (1) being on back roads where the nearest detour meant going several miles out of the way and (2) I could get off the bike and survey the road closure on foot to decide whether to risk riding through. In one case I rode around a road washout that had left enough good pavement for a motorcycle, but not for a car.

No reason to do that with the Lowell St. bridge. Especially if it's going to attract attention from police and/or bystanders.

[ron_newman]

I just got this notice from a whole bunch of mailing lists:

YOU ARE INVITED

PLEASE JOIN
SENATOR PATRICIA JEHLEN
MAYOR JOSEPH CURTATONE
STATE REPRESENTATIVES TIMOTHY TOOMEY,
CARL SCIORTINO, DENISE PROVOST
and Secretary of Transportation JOHN COGLIANO

for

THE FORMAL RE-OPENING OF

THE LOWELL STREET BRIDGE
(NEAR THE VISITING NURSES ASSISTED LIVING HOME at 259 LOWELL STREET)

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 2006
11:00 A.M.

The Lowell Street Bridge construction is complete: the pavement has
dried; the lines have been painted; the guardrails have been
installed; the area has been cleaned; and, perhaps most importantly,
the detour signs for the Lowell Street Bridge construction have been
removed.

The Bridge was closed for over 2,200 days.
IT IS TIME TO FORMALLY CELEBRATE ITS RE-OPENING!

Our local elected officials, state transportation officials, and
members of the community will come together to formally CELEBRATE
the Lowell Street Bridge opening.

Please join us!