The welcome mat that a state lays out on its borders says a lot about the state itself, how it wants to be perceived and what it aspires to be.
The rebuilding of the Interstate 95 bridge over the Merrimack River, and the widening of four miles of adjacent highway, are an opportunity for Massachusetts to provide a unique public service to residents and to make a strong statement to visitors.
That statement will be made through the construction of a shared-use path along the side of the highway, in particular a path on the east side of the rebuilt Merrimack River bridge. The state has already approved the project, but it faces criticism from neighbors and questions from people who feel it is a waste of taxpayer money.
We think that the investment is a wise one.
For motorists on Interstate 95, Newburyport, Amesbury and Salisbury are gateways to our state. The $8 million shared-use path will border the highway, granting a spectacular view of the Merrimack River and providing a connecting link between popular bike paths that have been built in the three communities.
It will be the first bridge of its type in the state, though we are far behind the trend. Across the nation, there are dozens of highway bridges that share a lane with bicyclists. These lanes are designed to make good use of existing right-of-ways, by paralleling the bike path to the highway and constructing strong barriers to separate the two.
Bike paths along the sides of highways certainly leave a positive impression of the community. In Maine, pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages can often be seen along Route 1 in Brunswick, as well as the path near Interstate 95 in Portland. It gives the impression of a vibrant and active community; it has appeal. Farther away, Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Va., have excellent and appealing shared-use paths; in Seattle the paths extend along long stretches of highway bridges.
That kind of appeal would be good for this region, particularly when considering the enormous investment already made in bike paths. It says something positive about the quality of life, it provides a realistic alternative way to get around and to get exercise, and perhaps, it would even boost tourism.
There are some issues that need to be resolved. Neighbors who live near the Newburyport entrance are concerned about safety and traffic. Perhaps some compromises can be reached.
The tragic accident that occurred on the bridge last week — in which a car vaulted over the snow-encrusted concrete barrier and plunged 90 feet to the river below — is being considered by some as an argument against the shared-use path. If the shared-use path had been in place, the car would have ended up on it.
However it's important to point out that the accident was an anomaly. Of the millions of cars that pass over the bridge each year, state police say this was the first time in the bridge's 50-plus-year history that an accident of this type occurred. This was indeed an extremely rare occurrence and not something that should dictate policy.
Bike advocates have been a strong voice in favor of the shared-use path, as have Mayors Donna Holaday of Newburyport and Thatcher Kezer of Amesbury, as well as Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington. This is a project that all three communities will benefit from.
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