The fenced-off footbridge over the Powwow River at 25 Friend Street is about to disappear. The City of Amesbury plans to lift its steel truss off the abutments in a single crane pick, probably overnight, and leave the concrete supports on each bank. A replacement is in design, but it needs its own permit filing, and the money now before the City Council covers design work, not construction. So for some time after the crane leaves, the crossing will be a 40-foot gap.
That has practical effects for anyone who walks between Friend Street and the Upper Millyard. It changes which route you take to Blue Moon, Dynamic Balance or the Industrial History Center, and it explains why the site will look unfinished for a while.
What the engineers found
The bridge closed on July 23. According to the Newburyport Daily News, the city hired an engineering firm after debris was seen falling from the structure. Amesbury Communications Director William Donohue told the paper the firm "made the determination that the bridge's support structure was compromised and recommended the bridge be closed until other accommodations could be made."
The city's later filing to the Conservation Commission gives more detail. The bridge is a pair of steel trusses carrying a timber deck that has been modified over the years. A July 29 memo from the engineering firm TEC, Inc. documented "missing and deteriorated stringers and areas of 100% section loss along the bottom chords of both trusses." Full section loss means that in some spots the steel at the bottom of each truss has rusted away entirely. TEC and MassDOT bridge inspectors both looked at it, and Amesbury's Department of Public Works then issued a Statement of Emergency.
The Daily News later reported that the bridge is too far gone to repair and will be replaced. That rules out the quick patch-and-reopen many people hoped for in July.
Two projects, two permits
The condition of the bridge also explains why it has to come out before a new one can go in. The truss is weak enough that the contractor doesn't want to take it apart over the river. The demolition plan says the approach "is intended to minimize disturbance to the existing bridge prior to establishing support with the lifting equipment," so it will be lifted out in one piece. The city's filing keeps that emergency removal separate from the replacement on purpose.
| Removal | Replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Lifting the roughly 40-foot steel truss and timber deck off the abutments | A new bridge on the same crossing |
| Who is doing it | SPS New England of Salisbury, with TEC, Inc. and MassDOT | Design underway, led by the city's project team |
| Permit | Request for Determination of Applicability, on the Conservation Commission's Oct. 5 agenda | A future filing that hasn't been submitted yet |
| Funding identified | Under MassDOT Contract 130460 | Up to $175,000 for design and permitting only |
| Date | No date published yet | No date published yet |
The removal filing says the resource areas along the river "have not yet been flagged or located via survey," because the work was moving on an emergency schedule. That survey will be done before the replacement filing. TEC expects those areas to include Inland Bank with its 100-foot buffer, Riverfront Area along the Powwow, and Bordering Land Subject to Flooding. The city's filing asked the commission to rule on the short-term removal only, and says "the long-term replacement and associated impacts will be permitted separately under a future filing." The demolition plan proposes no impacts to those areas, so removing the old truss from the parking lot could move ahead first.
The removal was listed under new business on the Conservation Commission's October 5 agenda. A community meeting tracker reports that the commission approved it. Before demolition, the city still plans to submit a formal engineered demolition procedure and pick plan.
What the $175,000 covers
In mid-October the City Council gave a first reading to a bill letting Mayor Kassandra Gove accept a reimbursement-based Shared Streets grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The Daily News reported that the grant covers up to $175,000 for "surveying, geotechnical exploration, design and environmental permitting."
Gove called it "a tremendous benefit for our community," and said it "keeps us on schedule as we move forward with a replacement of the critically damaged pedestrian bridge." The council sent the bill to its Committee of the Whole, which was expected to discuss it on Oct. 20.
All of those line items are steps that come before construction. The city hasn't published a total cost for the new bridge, a construction funding source or a reopening date. Because the grant pays by reimbursement, the city spends the money first and gets it back afterward. So when the grant comes up in council business this fall, it means the design and permitting phase is funded. It doesn't mean construction has started.
What to expect on lift night
The plan is built around the businesses next to the bridge. Prep work includes removing the timber ramps, checking and disconnecting electrical components, calling DigSafe to mark underground utilities, and trimming any tree limbs that would get in the way of the lift. No whole trees are expected to come down. According to SPS's work plan, that daytime prep will keep the adjacent walkway open, with channelizers or barricades separating pedestrians from the work. The walkway closes just before the lift, timed for after nearby downtown businesses close. The lift itself is planned for an overnight shift, roughly 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., on a weekday, preferably early in the week, with a police detail coordinated with the city.
The crane and a truck and trailer will set up on the paved parking area south of the bridge, with a possible laydown area to the southwest. Before setting up, the contractor will mark off the work area and arrange temporary parking and pedestrian restrictions as needed. No equipment will go into the riverbed. If any loose material falls into the Powwow, it will be retrieved by hand. When the truss is gone, temporary fencing will close off both approaches.
If you park near Friend Street in the evening, expect a night when part of that lot is coned off and a crane is working until morning. Once the date is announced, it should be posted on the City of Amesbury news page.
Getting into the Millyard until a new bridge opens
The Upper Millyard is open the whole time. Only one of its entrances is closed. There are three ways in:
- Behind NuNaMi Bistro. A second pedestrian bridge behind the restaurant on Main Street still crosses into the Upper Millyard. Sheila Beach, executive director of the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce, told the Daily News that the businesses "are now just a few steps further," and that "it's a beautiful walk along the river."
- From Water Street, with no river crossing. The Amesbury Carriage Museum's directions start at the free lot at 10 Water Street. Walk up Water Street, turn left on Main, cross at the first crosswalk toward 5 Market Square, and go through the archway between 7 Market Square and the Counting House. Flatbread Company is on the right, with the Industrial History Center just past it.
- From the Friend Street lot. The museum's directions page still lists two bridges from this lot: one reached by the staircase near Newburyport Savings Bank, and one "near Bluemoon Cafe." Those directions were written before the July closure. Since the closed bridge is the one that served Blue Moon, take the open crossing and follow the brick path into the Millyard.
For parking, the museum lists free two-hour street parking on Main, Friend, Water and Market Streets, plus free lots at 21 Friend Street behind Barking Dog Bar & Grill and at 10 Water Street. On lift night, the Water Street lot and archway route will keep you away from the crane.
What's open on the other side this fall
The closed bridge mainly served Blue Moon Kitchen and Bar and Dynamic Balance. A week after the closure, Blue Moon owner Jeff Nahas gave the community credit for keeping customers coming. He told the Daily News the closure hadn't hurt business yet, and added a warning about timing:
"But it's a matter of timing, I believe. If it goes on for two or three months, that's when we'll have some issues."
The three-month mark from the July 23 closure passed on October 23, and no replacement schedule has been announced. Nahas also thanked the city, the DPW and the Chamber for keeping him informed.
The Amesbury Carriage Museum's Industrial History Center in Mill 2 is another reason to walk over before the year ends. It sits in the middle of the Millyard next to the amphitheater, and it has been open since October 2021. Its season runs through December 13, Thursday and Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. It closes on November 1 for the museum's 41st Annual Meeting and on November 26 for Thanksgiving.
Going forward, the abutments will stay in place, the approaches will be fenced, and a design will move through permitting. Until construction funding and a date are announced, use the bridge behind NuNaMi or the archway off Market Square.
If you're wondering how changes along the Powwow and the Millyard might affect a home you own nearby, The Barnes Team is glad to walk through it with you. Start with a quick look at where your property stands. Get your instant home valuation.
