U.S. House Passes Peabody Canal Riverwalk Infrastructure Funding

PEABODY, MA —Funding for a new Peabody Riverwalk is part of the $19.5 million in North Shore infrastructure spending included in the Investing in a New Vision for Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Salem) said the Riverwalk project is one of four North Shore projects to receive funding in the INVEST Act, which still must pass the U.S. Senate. Moulton is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Along with the Peabody Canal Riverwalk, which would fund the construction a multimodal riverwalk while simultaneously replacing the failing south canal wall in Peabody, the bill would fund double-tracking six miles of the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line, a Lynn Complete Streets project and rehabilitate the Lynn Commuter Rail station.

"Passing the INVEST Act through the House is a huge step forward towards funding some of my major priorities for Massachusetts," Moulton said in a statement to Patch. "These projects will give people more choices for how they get around, which means more freedom from traffic congestion."

Moulton's office said passage through the House is only the second step in the process. Next, the Senate must pass a surface transportation bill of its own. After both chambers have bills, the House and Senate will convene to conference over the two bills before it eventually heads to the president's desk.

"It was disappointing to see most Republicans vote against a transformational infrastructure bill, and it remains a fight to get this through the Senate, but we are one big step closer to funding important projects for the great people I represent," Moulton said.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)