McGrath Highway repairs not all-inclusive

Tipster Susan Eldridge of Somerville says it's great that the state is fixing up sections of the McGrath Highway (Route 28) near her home, but asks GlobeWatch if it'll be a thorough upgrade or just a patch job.

"I am very pleased to see that the walkway on the McGrath Highway bridge [the portion between Pearl Street and the Medford Street/Highland Avenue intersection] is being repaired," writes Eldridge. "The cement was eroding and the railing was falling off. The DCR seems to be doing a good job of fixing it up. Although a highway runs through it, this area is still a neighborhood first and foremost and we who live here do care about how it looks. My concern is the areas of the bridge that go over Gilman Street and the railroad tracks. On the Gilman Street bridge there are huge cracks on all four sides that go from the ground all the way to the top. The cement appears to be eroding here as well and the steel beams are exposed and look rusted. If it is this way here, I am wondering what it looks like further up, over the railroad tracks, which is much higher. I'm concerned because this is a heavily trafficked area: buses, huge freight trucks, and commuters use this bridge 24/7."

During a visit last week, a Globe reporter spied workers making improvements to the bridge about a block away from the area Eldridge writes about. Substantial crevasse-like cracks inside the underpass ran from the sidewalk to the roof. Cement on underpass walls, as well as on support pilings, was cracked or missing altogether, exposing rusted metal rebar underneath. Small stalactites of an indeterminate substance hung down from the bridge's canopy, suggesting that water from the roadway above frequently seeps through to Gilman Street below. "Aside from the safety issue, the Gilman Street bridge is also causing a blight in the neighborhood. So my questions are: Is it safe and when will it be repaired?" asks Eldridge.

"DCR is working on that bridge right now and has been for about a week or so," said Wendy Fox, a department spokeswoman. Workers are repairing guardrails, sidewalks, and the bridge's retaining walls on both sides of the highway, she said. They expect to be there for another few weeks, she added. The project, however, does not include work to the underpass on Gilman Street. "Two months ago, DCR inspectors looked at it and did take out some loose concrete," said Fox, adding that crews regularly inspect the underpass for safety. "It looks worse than it is," said Fox. "We're confident that it's all right for now." As for the Highland Avenue bridge, which goes over MBTA commuter rail tracks, Fox said "that's in good shape" since the agency did work there only a few years ago.

Rick Sullivan, Commissioner
Department of Conservation
and Recreation
251 Causeway Street,
Suite 600
Boston, MA 02114-2104
617-626-1250