Belden Bly could be bridge to past

LYNN – The Belden Bly Bridge will turn 100 in 2013 and then be demolished.When the demolition takes place, the Lynn Historical Commission is hoping someone will pick up a few of the pieces for preservation.”I’d hate for this to be a missed opportunity,” said Historical Commissioner Calvin Anderson. “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”Anderson said the commission is not in the position to accept any piece of the bridge.”We don’t even have an office,” he said. “We don’t have a budget.”He has been in contact with the project manager who, he said, is willing, within reason, to work with anyone interested in saving parts of the bridge.Built in 1913, the Belden Bly Bridge is one of the oldest cantilevered bridges in the country still in use. Plans are to replace the bridge once a temporary bridge is complete. Work started on the temporary two-lane movable bridge that runs adjacent to the Belden Bly in 2010. The Department of Transportation is expected to finish the estimated $13.6 million project in the spring.Standing on the bridge Monday, Anderson pointed to the visible gears and trusses that sport large rivets that he would love to see lodged in a local park or used as “folly art.”Folly art would incorporate pieces along a street, or any area where art or, in this case, historic artifacts, might not ordinarily appear.The project does have a few caveats.Anderson said although the demolition isn’t scheduled until spring, he needs interested parties to commit by the year’s end and have a defined location for delivery of the pieces. Painted artifacts will also have to be de-leaded, he added.It is not only the bridge itself that is up for grabs, however.Inside the small white house that hangs off the side of the bridge over the Saugus River are two control panels that bridge operator Louie Addonizio believes are original.One looks like an old metal cooler and operates the gate and siren. The second panel bears a large General Electric nameplate, looks out over the Saugus River and sports a large lever that opens and closes the bridge.Anderson said the contractor has indicated that both control panels are also in line for demolition and could go to a good historic home.Anderson is hoping the Lynn Museum will at the very least take the dedication plaque that hangs on the western side of the bridge.Joan Leblanc, director of the Saugus River Watershed Council, said her board is also supportive, but she is unsure if they have the means to take Anderson up on his offer. She did, however, agree with Anderson that Marshview Park, on the bank of the Saugus River just off Boston Street, would make a nice location for a couple of gears or a girder or two.Anderson said those interested in obtaining a piece of the bridge’s history can reach him through the mayor’s office in City Hall.”It’s the historical commission’s mission to promote the preservation of such artifacts, remnants and structures,” he said. “We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t try.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].