NEWBURYPORT — In light of motorists losing travel lanes to accommodate bicycles on the Gillis Memorial Bridge, municipal and state leaders are expected to meet Monday to discuss improving communication with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The bridge connects Newburyport to Salisbury by way of Route 1 and the construction work is part of a $12.5 million, Route 1 repaving project covering 6.5 miles of state road from Newbury to Salisbury that includes the Route 1 rotary near the city’s MBTA station.
Without advanced warning to officials on either side of the river, MassDOT narrowed the two lanes of the drawbridge down to one on each side to make way for a bicycle lane, separated by a 12-foot buffer. The lack of a heads-up rankled officials who were quickly hit with complaints from residents concerned about potential traffic headaches and safety issues.
That prompted at-large City Councilor Ed Cameron to reached out to state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, state Rep. Dawne Shand, D-Newburyport, and Mayor Sean Reardon to try to convene a public meeting on the matter soon.
Although it appears Cameron’s idea of a public meeting won’t be happening, Reardon said Tarr organized a Zoom conference call with state and municipal leaders in Newburyport and Salisbury to see how MassDOT can improve community outreach in the future.
The virtual meeting is expected to see Reardon, Tarr and Shand in attendance but will not be public.
“This meeting is going to be more about the Route 1 rotary work than the Gillis Bridge. But it will be even more about how MassDOT deals with the community, especially the ones that are affected by the Route 1 project,” Reardon said. “We want to make it clear that these are things that are impacting our community. When no one knows about it and you show up and do it, and you have people who have lived here their whole lives who see the traffic back up on a weekday in the summer, it’s something that startles everybody.”
Planning Director Andy Port said he plans on being a part of Monday’s meeting, adding that he would like to see more continuity in the state’s outreach as well.
“We want to make sure the community is aware of the project and that any local concerns are addressed,” he said. “That’s always beneficial, rather than having these discussions after the fact.”
The mayor said he is, however, glad to see the new bike lanes will connect the Clipper City Rail Trail from Newburyport to Salisbury.
“People are going to have to get used to it and we’re going to have to see if it is a real problem. If that’s the case, then I hope MassDOT addresses it,” he said. “I believe having meetings like we’re going to have on Monday will help us to navigate that process if it becomes something that isn’t working.”
A spokesperson from MassDOT did not return a request for comment.