Chips of lead paint flying off the Tobin Bridge have long been a concern for residents of Chelsea, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation held a meeting on Wednesday night to share information about how it's working to correct the issue.
Officials said that the freezing and thawing over the years has made the issue worse — causing steel to be exposed and bridge decay to happen faster. According to MassDOT, lead paint was an industry standard up until the 1990s, and it's currently present in 30% of all steel structures in the United States and Massachusetts.
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Crews have been working to clean up the chips, and in the meantime, will add a net system around the columns to help catch the paint that's coming off.
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People who live near the Tobin have been advised to keep children away from lead paint chips, and if there's cause for concern, could consider having their child tested for lead.
Workers will be vacuuming lead paint chips around and under the bridge, and will continue on a monthly basis until paint removal and repairs begin in the spring of next year.
Although these efforts are welcomed by residents, they vented their frustration during Wednesday night's MassDOT meeting.
"Chips are falling and that’s where they’re finding them, under the bridge," Chelsea resident Theresa Czerpica said. "The other side they fixed it. This side they didn’t. And Chelsea has been left on the hook since they built this bridge.”
People who live near the Tobin and see cleaning crews may direct them to where they see paint chips and allow the crews onto their property for clean up.
The paint chips are being taken off site for disposal, in accordance with environmental regulations, MassDOT said.
The removal of the pain, plus repairs, will cost $125 million and will take about four years to complete. Goals of the project include removing old paint from sections of the bridge, completing repairs and repainting the steel. Officials said there would not be any permanent lane closures during the project.
Funding will come from tolls drivers pay to cross the bridge.
