TEWKSBURY — As part of the Federal Community Project Funding appropriation that helps members of Congress fund projects in their districts, Tewksbury was awarded $850,000 to support sidewalk and safety improvements for Livingston Street.
Livingston Street is a major artery that connects East Street to Main Street and the upgrades will bridge a significant gap in the town’s sidewalk network. Livingston Street is home to elderly housing, open space areas, ball fields, a playground, sprinkler pad, the town’s community market, and recreation spaces for the entire community such as tennis courts and a fitness pavilion.
According to Andrew Stack, town engineer, Congress passed the final appropriations bill for FY24 in early March. Tewksbury, along with other communities, was granted funding for specific projects in line with appropriation guidelines. Such projects support a wide variety of public infrastructure initiatives and activities, including the construction and renovation of facilities, the expansion of existing programs, and funds needed to support the planning and design of future projects, according to Congressman Seth Moulton’s office.
Moulton represents Tewksbury in the Sixth Congressional District.
The Livingston Street Transportation Improvement Project was submitted by the town via a grant application through Moulton’s office. On March 9, 2024, President Joe Biden signed the appropriations bill into law. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will be administering the funding for this grant.
“The Town of Tewksbury is grateful for Congressman Moulton’s support on this grant,” said Stack.
The Livingston Street Transportation Improvement Project is a multi-modal enhancement project that will create and improve pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle facilities along Livingston Street. The project scope includes approximately 4,100-feet of sidewalk along Livingston Street between East Street and Roy Way.
According to Stack, the new sidewalk will connect existing sidewalks on East Street and Livingston Street. Additionally, the roadway will be resurfaced where needed to improve the ride quality for vehicles and cyclists.
Bike lanes will be provided where there is sufficient public right-of-way. Where such space does not exist, Shared Lane Markings will be added to the roadway to improve cyclist safety, as some portions of the road are narrow.
Stack said that crosswalks will be added at various locations along the roadway to allow for pedestrian access to the new sidewalk. Crosswalks will be equipped with rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons which are triggered by pedestrians and use an LED-array. These signals improve safety at marked crosswalks. New bus shelters will also be provided at key locations along Livingston Street.
The project is currently under design through the town’s consulting engineer, GCG Associates, Inc. of Wilmington, according to Stack. Other projects that received funding under this appropriation include PFAS water filtration upgrades for the Wilmington and Manchester-by-the-Sea water treatment plants, science lab upgrades for North Shore Community College, Main Street corridor upgrades for the town of Wakefield, building expansion for Essex Tech to support workforce and veteran programs, wastewater treatment plant upgrades for Rockport, and water main replacement and expansion in Groveland, among others.
