BOSTON — The city of Boston is moving ahead with plans to rebuild the much-debated Long Island Bridge.
City officials announced plans Wednesday to float the bridge out in pieces by barge which would, once again, connect Boston's Long Island with neighboring Quincy.
The bridge is part of Walsh’s plan to create a long-term recovery campus on the island.
It was closed in 2014 for safety reasons and demolished.
Boston officials released a photo Wednesday of what they expect the bridge to look like once it's completed in 2021 at a cost of about $92 million.
Officials in Quincy, however, have threatened to block its construction, sharing concerns about the construction vehicles that would flood the area.
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People like George and Susan O'Hare, who live on the Quincy side, want no part of the project. They say their street, Dorchester Street, is the only road out to the bridge site.
"I think it's ridiculous. But I think they're big bullies and they probably will win," said O'Hare.
Dorchester Street is quiet and peaceful now, but George and Susan says that wasn't the case before the old bridge came down and expect it will be even busier once the new one is up.
"It was hectic, there was a lot of trucks, buses on a daily basis and the road deteriorated over years with that," said O'Hare.
Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch says he's doing everything he can to stop the bridge from being built, but that Boston hasn't contacted Quincy at all about their plans.
"Let's be honest. Boston answers to a different set of rules. Boston does what they want to do. It's gonna have a major effect on the quality of life for the neighborhoods in my city," said Koch.
Boston says the bridge is needed to move ahead with plans to build an addiction recovery center on Long Island. Office of Recovery Services Jen Tracey was quoted in the city's release Wednesday saying, "Boston is a national leader in recovery services. This bridge represents Boston's ongoing commitment to those who are struggling with substance use disorders."
Koch says his problem isn't with the recovery center, he just doesn't want the road there to go through Quincy.
"I'm gonna use every possible legal environmental engineering tool I can to stop this bridge from being built," said Koch.
Koch plans to meet with residents of the Squantum and Marina Bay neighborhoods next week.
Cox Media Group
