76°
LEICESTER, Mass. — An amendment tacked onto the Senate version of the state's 2012 Transportation Bond Bill would provide $1 million in funding for repairs to Leicester’s Rawson Street Bridge.
The Senate bill now goes to a conference committee, where differences with the House of Representatives' version must be reconciled before it goes to the governor for his signature.
State Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury), who put forward the amendment, said the bridge repairs are “one of Leicester’s most urgent infrastructure needs.”
“Particularly with the recent addition of a local Wal-Mart, this bridge experiences more traffic than ever," Moore said. "Due to the added burden, as well as the need for emergency personnel to access areas of Leicester, this repair is a vital public safety issue.”
For the past 13 years, the Rawson Street Bridge has been undergoing temporary repairs, with winters taking a heavy toll on the condition of the bridge. Last winter, town snow plows were unable to service the bridge because the concrete was so damaged that any plowing would have further ruined the surface.
In the event that Route 9 is shut down or detoured, the Rawson Street Bridge becomes the alternate route for traffic.
Comments