The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is preparing to replace a large, inactive pipe under the General Edwards Bridge and the Lynn City Council has agreed to rent the MWRA some land near the site and adjacent to the Lynn Mart..
Tuesday night the council agreed to a monthly rent of $1,562.81 per month for up to six months.
“We have an old water line, put in in 1934, with a segment that runs along the underside of the bridge. It is part of a line that serves the GE Plant, Nahant, Swampscott, Marblehead and Peabody,” said MWRA spokesperson Ria Convery.
This 1,400-foot section has been out of service since February 2014 as it’s made of steel and has become too corroded. MassDOT asked the MWRA to remove it from the bridge to keep it from damaging the bridge structure.
At the Sept. 19 meeting, the MWRA Board of Directors approved a $1.9 million contract to R. Zoppo Corporation for this work.
The work is scheduled to start in the next few weeks and take about six months. To replace this segment, the MWRA will be designing and constructing a new water main that will run under the Saugus River.