Temporary Parking Set Up Amid Salem Willows Improvement Work

SALEM, MA —A former softball field will become a temporary parking lot at Salem Willows as work continues on the signature park improvement project.

City officials said a temporary parking lot has been set up on the field between Dead Horse Beach and Fort Avenue to offset the temporary closure of "The Hill" parking area.

The tennis courts and pavement have been removed and crews began cutting the pavement around the sidewalks on Restaurant Row in preparation for the installation of two sidewalks.

In coming weeks, crews will begin setting up the subgrade prior to repaving.

"Most of the work to this point has been removal and demolition, but setting up the subgrade is the turning point to beginning to build out the improved site conditions," officials said through the Building Salem notification system.

Following Fourth of July weekend, parts of Restaurant Row will be temporarily closed for electrical work that requires cutting trenches in the street. Officials said that work is expected to take no more than two days and that the area will be kept as open as possible for businesses during this work.

Along with the temporary parking lot, visitors are reminded that the Salem Skipper is providing free trips to the Willows on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer and there is a new BlueBikes share station at the Willows at Fort Avenue and Restaurant Row.

More information on the full project can be found here.

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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.)

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