It's good to know that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is advancing plans to replace the Annisquam River commuter rail drawbridge, with designs to be finalized this fall and the construction to be carried out in 2013.
It's also encouraging to hear Brian Brenner, an employee of the Boston-based engineering firm of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, which is working on the new bridge designs, suggest that the potential 17-month reconstruction project may be carried out in phases that should avoid shutting the bridge down for an extended period.
But while representatives of the MBTA and Fay, Spofford & Thorndike have every reason to say the bridge is safe for continued use until that time, they should also understand why riders can get just a tad reticent when their train crosses at the new speed limit of 10 mph or less, or comes to a virtual stop before heading onto the bridge from the island side.
And while officials obviously would shut down the bridge altogether if they found serious structural faults, it's a little disconcerting to hear that the "regular inspections" that bring those assurances are being carried out just quarterly.
That means the next one isn't due until April, and lest we forget, the last inspection in January turned up reasons for carrying out emergency repairs and ordering the 10 mph slowdown.
Clearly, the continued 10 mph speed limit — half the normal 20 mph crossing speed — remains in place to ease the strain on the 100-year-old span.
Given that the MBTA sees the need to keep that provision in place, moving up the quarterly inspections to monthly ones — with public reports on their findings — seems like a reasonable measure as well.
Giving riders verbal assurances that the bridge remains safe for crossing is one thing.
But the MBTA and its engineering firm could ease a lot more nerves and stomachs by showing Cape Ann rail commuters reports confirming the century-old structure is safe — and doing so on a month-by-month basis until the new bridge is in place.
