Bridge Repair Could Be A Boon For Woburn

WOBURN, MA -- The Massachusetts Department of Transportation put repairs to the New Boston Street bridge in north Woburn by the Wilmington town line on its fast-track project list, according to the Daily Times Chronicle, which first reported this story. The $17 million project, which has been in the works for decades, could increase development in the industrial corridor of New Boston Street that straddles north and east Woburn. That, in turn, could bolster Woburn's commercial tax base.

The area is currently limited by access issues, with the crowded Mishawum Avenue being the major artery to the New Boston Street industrial zone. While federal funding for the project will not be released until 2021, the move by MassDOT means the project can now move to the final design phase.

Once completed, the reopened bridge would open a new access point to the area and better connect it to Atlantic Avenue and the Anderson Regional Transportation Center. A report released last month by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council recommended that the city ease some zoning requirements in the area and continue to explore transportation improvements in the area.

The New Boston Street area is currently home to 370 companies that employ about 5,000 people. Those businesses are currently housed in warehouse and manufacturing facility, but MAPC said better access to the area could lure high-tech companies from Boston and Cambridge.

For more on this story, see the Daily Times Chronicle. Subscribe to Woburn Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

New Boston Street photo by Realtor.com.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).