Rockport Harbor footbridge temporarily gone, new one anticipated in place by May
The Rockport footbridge, a pedestrian byway across the Goose River at Rockport Harbor, is removed from service Dec. 29. (Photo courtesy Rockport Harbor Facebook page)
The Rockport footbridge, a pedestrian byway across the Goose River at Rockport Harbor, is removed from service Dec. 29. (Photo courtesy Rockport Harbor Facebook page)
ROCKPORT — The short footbridge that ties the west and east side of Rockport Harbor is gone for five months as the town builds a new one.
“It had gotten to a point that we were concerned about its stability,” said Rockport Town Manager Jon Duke, Dec. 29.
“It had gotten suddenly worse,” said Rockport Harbor Master Abbie Leonard. “It was decided that it needed to be removed before there were a lot of people on it for New Year’s Eve, but there was not a crane that could schedule it.”
Until Friday, however, when there was last-minute availability with a crane, she said, but little chance to post a notice about the footbridge being removed.
The footbridge spans the Goose River as it empties into Rockport Harbor, just below the vehicular traffic bridge that rises above. The Goose River runs from the Hosmer Pond in a watershed fed by water draining from Ragged and Bald mountains, four miles inland.
The river section beneath the footbridge is tidal, with abundant wildlife on its shores and in it. The river flow can be fierce after strong storms, and according to Duke, the footbridge withstood a strong beating in the December 2022 rain and wind storm that swelled harbors, rivers and streams to record highs. But the footbridge sustained damage to its structural integrity.
According to Kenneth Dodge, of Rockport, the footbridge was built by Maynard Tolman 50 to 60 years ago, replacing an even earlier version of a footbridge.
The footbridge is consistently used year-round by locals and tourists, walkers, bicyclists, runners, and workers moving from one side of the harbor to the other. Duke envisions a new bridge to be in place in May, in advance of the summer boating season and Rockport’s donut festival.
Currently, the town is obtaining prices for its replacement, and has some money — approximately $35,000 to $45,0000 — remaining from a harbor infrastructure improvement grant that could be used to build a new one. He said the town’s public works department could put something new in place.
“A lot of people are interested in making this happen,” he said. “We have prices and designs we are looking at, but are not ready to pull the trigger.”
A new design would incorporate a wider path to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles, and a motorized vehicle useful in tending to trash pick-up.
Until May, the public, “will have to walk around and use the big bridge,” he said. “What we had was great, and people loved it. We needed something safe for people to pass over.”
He said the town will work at deliberate pace to get the project done.
Meanwhile, the kayaks and other small boats that had been left on the kayak racks by the footbridge are gone, transported to storage at the public works garage. Boat owners had been contacted to remove their boats for the season by Nov. 15. A number of them remained, however, and on Friday, they, too, were removed.
