By Tim McCarthy
tmccarthy@haverhillgazette.com
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Those seeking to visit the birthplace of John Greenleaf Whittier are going to have to get there in a more roundabout fashion.
The Whittier Road Bridge, connecting traffic from Route 110 directly to the Whittier Homestead, is closed to through traffic. Traffic will be detoured to the Margerie Street and Amesbury Road intersection for connections to Route 110 and only local traffic will be allowed past Corliss Hill Road.
The city hired a private engineering firm to inspect the 19 smaller bridges throughout the city following the heavy rains and floods this past spring.
In the case of the Whittier Road Bridge, the inspectors found the footing of the bridge had rotted to the point of instability.
The bridge is closed until further notice as the city awaits both money and manpower for repairs.
"If we had the money today it would still take a year to replace that bridge," Fiorentini said.
The mayor said that if other bridges throughout the city are found similarly unsafe, the city could be faced with and expensive proposition down line for repairs.
Fiorentini said he is considering borrowing through a federal government bond to pay for the Whittier Bridge repairs.
"It's disappointing to lose this bridge," he said. "We'll keep our fingers crossed on the rest of them."
The mayor's office estimated that the detour will add 1 mile and five minutes to the average commute for residents of Whittier Road.
Residential services including public safety, schools and the post office have been notified of the change.
