Thursday, 4:30 PM
Repair work begins on crumbling Gloucester seawall
By Globe Staff
Repair work began today on the crumbling seawall in Gloucester that has allowed the ocean to undermine a drawbridge tender's house, forcing officials to lock the busy span in the "down" position for as long as 20 days.
Officials are concerned that water has worked its way through the seawall and created "voids" in the soil beneath the house, said Steve Magoon, Gloucester's chief administrative officer.
Magoon said the repair project will include scouring the seawall, filling gaps in the granite blocks with grout, and filling in soil behind the wall.
Officials have said that the busy Blynman Bridge over the Blynman Canal will be kept down for as long as 20 days so repairs can be made.
Boaters use the canal to get from the Annisquam River to the ocean. Drivers cross the bridge on their way to and from the western edge of the city's downtown on Route 133.
Magoon said the company that the state contracts with to operate the bridge had been monitoring settling in the floor of the bridge tender's house and recently noticed "a much more significant movement."
The repairs under way now are temporary. It's not clear how long permanent repairs will take, Magoon said.
While the bridge is down, boats heading from the Annisquam to the ocean will now have to head north, rather than south. There is another outlet from the river to the sea to the north.
For the moment, boats that are small enough to fit under the bridge can still go under it, but the city has asked for the channel to be closed to all boats, Magoon said.
