Daily commuters over the Rourke Bridge in Lowell,Massachusetts,will soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief during their drive. The paradoxically long-lived yet temporary bridge is being replaced by a permanent structure that will have ample room for drivers, bikers, and pedestrians.
Originally constructed in 1983, the temporary Rourke Bridge was planned to last a few years. Decades later, approximately 27,000 vehicles drive over the metal-plated structure each day.For decades, the bridge has been on the state’s replacement list, but funding was tight.
“It’s a big project, and we have struggled for a number of years to fund it,” said jonathan Gulliver, ENV SP, the undersecretary of transportation and highway administrator at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. “This was the first bridge on our list” when the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act became law in 2021, Gulliver said.
After planning and design efforts and a series of public and working group meetings, initial site investigations kicked off in summer 2025. Construction of the new Rourke Bridge is slated to be complete with the crossing open to traffic by 2029.
White-knuckle commutes
In the early 1980s, it became clear that a bridge over the Merrimack River into Lowell would be a helpful connection for drivers. During the initial discussions about placements and construction,the possibility of a temporary structure was suggested. This two-lane, metal-plated bridge could be constructed in a few months and act as a temporary solution.In 1983, the narrow, temporary bridge was built with the intention of it serving as a solution for 4-5 years – until a replacement could be constructed.Four decades later, the “temporary” bridge is still open to commuters.
Traversing the narrow and well-traveled Rourke Bridge is a harrowing feat for many commuters. Drivers report praying as they grip their steering wheels or calling loved ones for moral support as they bump over the road plates, according to CBS News.Anyone standing near the bridge is engulfed in a cacophony of noise as cars bang their way over the span. A metalworker who lives in Lowell likened the noise to “a marching band,” according to the same report.”Whenever I think of this bridge, I think of our (U.S.) Congresswoman Lori Trahan, who was a real, huge advocate for this project,” gulliver recalled. For Trahan, who grew up in Lowell, the bridge played a central role as she was learning to drive decades ago.
“When I got my driver’s license,I crossed the bridge,white-knuckled in my dad’s old pickup truck,” Trahan said at the groundbreaking for the new bridge. “If you’ve ever felt that bridge sway under your tires or braced yourself as cars squeezed past in the opposite direction, you know exactly what I mean.”
Beyond the aging infrastructure of the current Rourke Bridge, the span is also lacking in some key safety and accessib
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