The following is a letter to the editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Senator Ken Donnelly and Representative Jim Dwyer for arranging and Mayor Galvin for hosting and facilitating the New Boston Street Bridge site visit and informational meeting with Secretary of Transportation Richard A. Davey on Wednesday, March 6.

The New Boston Street Bridge due to a fire was closed in the 1970’s. One of my priorities when I was first elected Alderman of Ward 6 was to see that the bridge was rebuilt. When completed the bridge will provide a critical link for both regional and local traffic, along with vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle access to the Anderson Regional Transportation Center from the South and West, improving connectivity and reducing emergency response times in the area while encouraging safe multi-model access to the Anderson RTC.

The two most important reasons why the completion of the bridge is important to the residents of Woburn, Wilmington and Tewksbury is: It will keep a considerable amount of truck traffic out of residential neighborhoods, and will complete the loop for the Commerce Way Overlay District. The CWOD is the tract of land between the New Boston Street Bridge and the Woburn Mall that was rezoned in 2009 to permit mixed use development, office, research, commercial, retail, and multi-family uses.

The approval process for the New Boston Street Bridge reconstruction is a team effort. I would also like to acknowledge and thank City Engineer Jay Corey and Planning Board Director Ed Tarallo for their continued efforts to see the completion of this important community wide project. I believe because of  the efforts of our State Delegation, Mayor and City Department Heads, Secretary Davey understood Woburn’s commitment to the New Boston Street Bridge Project.

Michael Raymond

Alderman Ward 6