Newton Study Of Christina Street Bridge To Get Underway

NEWTON, MA — Since trains stopped using the rail bridge over the Charles River from Needham into Newton, two decades ago, it's sat abandoned, fallen into disrepair, and for the past five or six years ago, the city closed it to pedestrians.

In August the state gave Newton $56,700 for the MassTrails Program, and now, eight months later, the city is beginning a feasibility study.

The study will recommend either a way to reuse or replace the Christina Street bridge for use as an accessible, shared bicycle and pedestrian connection between Newton and the Blue Heron Trail in the state Department of Conservation and Recreation land in Needham. And it will lay the foundation "when funding is available," according to Mayor Ruthanne Fuller.

The new bridge will help link together the Newton side of Needham Street with the Needham Crossing area east of I-95, with possible future connections to the Upper Falls Greenway.

As the city works on steps to that end, it is asking that residents weigh in by watching a short introductiry video and then by answering questions about how you have used the bridge in the past and how you might use it in the future. They are also interested in hearing what's most important to you about joining the sides of the river find the survey here.

Watch the video:

For years, several residents have been pushing for the project to connect the Upper Falls Greenway, a mile long rail trail that extends from Newton Highlands to Newton Upper Falls, to other nearby trails.

An abandoned railroad bridge leads from Christina Street across the Charles River, where it connects with the DCR trail system. In connection with its proposed development on the west side of Needham Street, Northland bought property on the east side of Needham Street, opposite where a spur of the Upper Falls Greenway reaches Needham Street.

The City, Needham, and Northland have been discussing the feasibility of extending the trail from Needham Street along the former railroad right-of-way to the bridge over the Charles, helping to connect the Upper Falls Greenway to the Blue Heron trail on the other side of the river and restoring the bridge for pedestrian use.

Newton Gets Grant To Help With Study Of Christina Street ...