LAWRENCE, MASS. (WHDH) - The Central Bridge in Lawrence is expected to partially reopen Thursday after a massive fire broke out in a homeless encampment underneath it on Tuesday, Lawrence city officials said.
Starting Thursday morning, the mayor’s office says one lane in each direction will be back open to traffic.
Snow removal crews reported seeing flames under the bridge at approximately 2 a.m. Tuesday and called 911. Fire officials said it took crews about four hours to put out the flames, since there were many combustible items in the area. Officials said Wednesday that the bridge would be shut down indefinitely.
The bridge connects Amesbury Street to Parker Street, and police said the closure caused major traffic backups.
“It’s deeply significant, it is one of the main throughways throughout the city, an already congested city,” said Lawrence Police Chief Maurice Aguiler.
Lawrence City Council President Jeovanny Rodriguez said since it’s school vacation week, they have not had to deal with that type of traffic.
“We want to make sure that emergency vehicles are able, as well as the buses for the schools,” said Rodriguez. “We are on vacation right now, but next week is gonna be a different story.”
MassDOT has not yet said how long full repairs will take, but the city said the goal is to have the bridge fully reopened by next week.
“We’re working hard to have the bridge open completely, but we are going to wait until we have more information and also different design options to ensure that the bridge is safe and secure before we fully open the bridge,” said Rodriguez.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but officials said they do not believe foul play was involved.
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