SAUGUS — The Belden Bly Bridge is stuck in the upright position and will remain closed Tuesday.
The bridge, also known as Fox Hill Bridge, is located between Saugus and Lynn and carries traffic on Route 107. It malfunctioned on Sunday just after 5:30 p.m., according to a statement from a Massachusetts Department of Transportation spokesperson.
An evaluation uncovered a problem with marine traffic after the bridge is lowered, based on the tidal schedule and the size of vessels.
MassDOT crews and contractors are working to address the situation, in which the bridge is stuck open, and are developing plans and calculation to use a crane to safely lower the span. Crews worked on putting the crane and other logistics in place Monday afternoon and were expected to lower the bridge late Monday night. Engineers will then evaluate the bridge’s condition and determine the necessary corrective actions and associated timeline to restore the bridge to full operation.
Plans are in place for an $80 million bridge replacement. The design of the project is nearing completion and the project is expected to be advertised for construction bids in early 2019.
For now, detour routes have been implemented. They include the use of Summer Street, Lincoln Avenue, Ballard Street and Boston Street. Several MBTA bus routes use the bridge daily and buses on those routes are using detours, according to the statement.