Haverhill sidewalk repairs to be funded in part through ARPA

Olivia LeDuc |, The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.
·2 min read

Jul. 3—HAVERHILL — Mayor James Fiorentini announced this week that the city is using $1.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to repair sidewalks in the Mount Washington and Lower Acre neighborhoods.

The assigned funds for this year's sidewalk repairs are federally restricted to be spent only in specific, densely-populated, lower-income neighborhoods.

In response, Fiorentini said the city will also use $340,000 of its own budgeted funds to repair sidewalks in other areas of the city, a 23% increase over last year's spending.

"The most complaints I receive are about our neighborhoods, our streets, our sidewalks," Fiorentini said. "This infusion of federal money will supplement our existing budget and help us repair more sidewalks than we normally do."

The planned sidewalk repairs are a push forward in Haverhill's annual effort to rebuild its aging walkways every spring and summer.

Fiorentini said he began the current restoration program four years ago to improve the city's sidewalks that have not been mended for decades.

Since 2019, the city has reconditioned more than 10 miles of sidewalks.

The next stage of the sidewalk improvement plan focuses on the city's high-profile and highly trafficked gateways, including Groveland, Winter Street, and White and River streets, the mayor said.

"We want the entrance ways to our city, where many people walk, to be well-maintained and inviting," Fiorentini said. "This is part of our goal of making Haverhill a walkable city for everyone."

The city uses an outside company to inspect, analyze and grade every sidewalk to generate a prioritized list of recommended repair projects, the mayor said.

The review considers age, condition, how heavily used a given street is and other factors. Input from residents is also considered and the public is encouraged to call the 311 constituent services phone line with requests.

In mid-July, the city also plans on initiating this year's road improvement projects, said Shawn Regan, spokesman for the mayor.

Road refinements will begin when the city receives its expected Chapter 90 funds of about $1.5 million from the state, Regan said.

Regan said Haverhill is also banking on $700,000 supplemental funds from the state later in the summer for road improvements, raising the total for paving up to $2.2 million.