Page 2 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, April 4, 2025 BRIDGE | FROM PAGE 1 been stabilized by MassDOT. Peter E. Flynn, who represents the Pike family – owners of the building at 1147 Western Ave. in Lynn – blames the ongoing construction work by MassDOT’s contractor, SPS New England, Inc., with the building’s deterioration. The City of Lynn recently declared the building “uninhabitable.” Flynn has served lawyers at MassDOT, SPS New England and the Lynn City Solicitor with a motion he planned to file this week in Essex County Superior Court for a preliminary injunction “to pause construction pending stabilization of the plaintiff’s building” while noting “it could be about to fall into the Saugus River.” Flynn’s motion claimed the These are some of the photos used as an exhibit to Saugus Attorney Peter E. Flynn’s motion seeking an injunction to halt work on the Route 107 Beldon Bly drawbridge. The first photo shows SPS New England, Inc.’s heavy equipment at 1147 Western Ave. in Lynn about 18 months ago. The second photo was taken two years ago. Flynn’s motion alleges that the work has led to the deterioration of the building, which is now at risk of collapsing and falling into the Saugus River near the Saugus/Lynn line. (Courtesy photos to The Saugus Advocate) reason for the building being declared “uninhabitable” Lawrence A. Simeone Jr. Attorney-at-Law ~ Since 1989 ~ * Corporate Litigation * Criminal/Civil * MCAD * Zoning/Land Court * Wetlands Litigation * Workmen’s Compensation * Landlord/Tenant Litigation * Real Estate Law * Construction Litigation * Tax Lien * Personal Injury * Bankruptcy * Wrongful Death * Zoning/Permitting Litigation 300 Broadway, Suite 1, Revere * 781-286-1560 lsimeonejr@simeonelaw.net by the city is “due to structural problems caused by the construction project for which the eminent domain takings were made on the property in 2018 and 2023.” “Such a collapse into the river impacts all parties, as the plaintiffs lose their building, an environmental disaster is caused to the public, and the Commonwealth’s bridge project is put on an indefinite hold,” the motion claimed. The Pike Family requests that a Superior Court judge “issue an Order enjoining the defendant from performing any further construction in the vicinity of the property until SPS, at the Commonwealth’s cost, repairs the plaintiffs’ building to the extent that the City of Lynn Building Inspector deems it safe for habitation,” according to the 12-page document obtained by The Saugus Advocate. “Alternatively, should this Honorable Court not be inclined to stop the project altogether, the relief requested would be ordering SPS, at the Commonwealth’s expense and in conjunction with its ongoing project, repair the plaintiffs’ building to the extent that the City of Lynn Building Inspector deems it safe for habitation,” it said. Lynn, Saugus, Revere and surrounding communities are anxiously awaiting the construction of the replacement bridge. A judge’s order for an indefinite holdup of the project could prove costly and inconvenient and prolong traffic congestion. The Saugus Advocate sought comment from lawyers representing MassDOT, SPS New England and the City of Lynn. SPS New England, Inc. issued the following company response to the Flynn motion, maintaining that it had not done anything wrong: “SPS New England, Inc. has performed all work on the Route 107 / Beldon-Bly Drawbridge in a professional and safe manner and has adhered to all contract requirements including performing a survey of the existing condition of the 1147 Western Ave structure and foundations prior to construction, and extensive vibration and crack monitoring during construction activities. The structure was built in 1959 and per our structural expert – GZA – the deterioration of the structure is due to decades of tidal activity and not to the last two to three years of construction activity. The City of Lynn’s 2021 Hazard Mitigation Update Plan confirms that the Lynn coastline has been subject to significant coastal flooding since the erection of the 1147 Western Ave structure in 1959. As a result of the massive flooding events from BRIDGE | SEE PAGE 5
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