Opinion

Letter: Another highway fiasco in the making


Published: August 19, 2008

To the editor:

The state Highway Department plans a major overhaul of Bridge Street in Salem. Here's my opinion: It's a big waste of taxpayers' money!

The project calls for the widening of the sidewalks, so I imagine this will result in ripping up all the sewer and water lines. That's a lot of work and resources for what? Just to give the area a little facelift? And yet when all is said and done, for the most part the area will still have that downtrodden appearance because of the mismatch of businesses and housing crammed together. Not to mention the fact many of the residential buildings in the area are owned by landlords whose primary interest is rent, not their aesthetic appeal.

I know many of the Salem residents and Mayor Driscoll think they're getting something for free, but they're not. Wasteful projects like this are the reason taxes stay high. (Remember: Vote yes on Question 1 — income-tax repeal — this fall!)

This money should be spent on other more pressing projects like ensuring the integrity of some of the state's outdated bridges. Better yet, perhaps Mass. Highway could make a contribution to the state's general fund and earmark it to Salem to help with its financial crisis and hire back some of the laid-off teachers. Fat chance of that happening.

But let's look at the cost (assuming it comes in on budget — another fat chance). Seven million dollars is roughly 8,000 laptop computers — enough for every student (household) in Salem; or put another way, approximately 116 teaching jobs. I can almost guarantee you won't ever find 116 workers on site one day or any day any time during construction. (Or should we call it deconstruction?)

My next question: Are area residents willing to give up parking? I know state officials claim no parking spots will be lost, but where will residents park for the two years this construction is going on? Are Beverly and Salem residents who travel or patronize the businesses on Bridge Street ready to be inconvenienced for two years?

One Salem resident wants to make the street more bike-friendly. My suggestion to her and others is take your bike to one of the bike paths that the Highway Department has spent tens of millions of dollars building. Please leave the road to autos — for your own safety.

My biggest question is why these state officials are being entrusted with more construction projects when they can't even get the light sequence right on North Street in Salem. Every day traffic is backed up beyond the Peabody line no matter which time of the day you venture down the road.

And let's not forget that ridiculous cement island down in front of the old Salem Jail. What's up with that?

These officials, I imagine are the same ones responsible for the overpass at Route 128 in Waltham that has been years in the making and is still not finished. Yet down in Florida an intercoastal bridge more than a mile long was finished in less than a year. Go figure.

If one thing can be salvaged from this project, hopefully the state will use flagmen and not police when construction begins. Sorry guys, nothing personal, but we need to feed our families too.

Doug Krisko

Peabody