Mayor James J. Fiorentini > Press Release

March 20, 2009
Press Release:

Mayor Announces Construction of new Boardwalk behind Tap Restaurant to Begin in April!

Mayor James J. Fiorentini is pleased to announce that the construction of the new Merrimack River pedestrian Boardwalk will commence in April 2009.  A total of 300 feet of new boardwalk will be installed behind the Tap Restaurant, and the existing 300 foot boardwalk behind Haverhill Bank will be re-decked. 

“We have worked closely with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on this project” said Mayor Fiorentini.  This new boardwalk, and the rebuilding of the existing boardwalk, is something that the city has worked on since the 1970’s, when then Mayor Katsaros brought the first phase of the boardwalk to Haverhill.  This new boardwalk will bring in new people and new activity to our downtown and allow us to focus on our greatest asset, the Merrimack River. ”  Mayor Fiorentini said.

The original boardwalk behind the Haverhill Bank has deteriorated steadily over the past few years. Replacing the boardwalk now is necessary, so that visitors can safely enjoy this riverfront area.

This $1,274,174  project is begin funded by the Federal Highway Administration (80%) and Commonwealth of Massachusetts (20%) and is being overseen by the MassHighway Department, with the Haverhill Engineering Department serving as City liaison to the project . 

The adjacent city owned parking lot will be open during the construction period, but MassHighway is asking people to observe the closure and not enter the construction area, which is a potentially unsafe setting for visitors.

The Mayor said he anticipated a ground breaking sometime in early April.  The Mayor indicated that a firm date will be set shortly for the groundbreaking and the press will be notified.  The project is anticipated to be completed by August of 2009.

For further information regarding this project, please contact City Engineer John Pettis at (978) 374-2335.