Boston

Battle Between Quincy and Boston Ramps Up Over Long Island Bridge Project

Quincy's City Council unanimously voted Monday to ban commercial vehicles from the proposed construction site

The battle is ramping up between Quincy and Boston over the proposed Long Island Bridge after Quincy's City Council voted to ban commercial vehicles from the proposed construction site.

Quincy City Councilman William Harris says he doesn’t agree with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s idea to build a drug treatment facility out on Long Island.

"Integrating folks with addiction into the community is a much better solution to the problem than sending folks out to an island," Harris said.

Before any facility can even go up, though, Mayor Walsh wants a new bridge connecting Boston’s Long Island to Quincy’s Moon Island after the last one was demolished.

"We're going to continue to have conversations and reach out to Quincy as we proceed down the road here as far as the new bridge," Mayor Walsh has said.

But it doesn't appear that there will be an agreement coming from any conversation with Quincy officials. 

"As far as a bridge is concerned, it's something that I could never go along with and I will not go along with," Harris said.

Harris and other councillors are so against it that they voted unanimously Monday night to prohibit commercial vehicles from driving near the proposed site.

Some Squantum residents agree with City Council.

"No bridge. No,” Squantum resident Keith Capustin said. “Traffic problems already coming through this community are ridiculous."

What's the alternative?

"A ferry system would be the ideal situation. It's environmentally and economically responsible," Harris said.

But other Squantum residents feel if the bridge leads to helping addicts rid themselves of their addictions, traffic is no big deal.

"I'd rather have a place for them to go instead of just wandering the streets doing whatever,” Rich Starsiak said. “At least out here they get opportunities, there's programs. There's people that'll help them stay sober."

Councilman Harris says council will soon be voting on an ordinance. The council will decide whether or not regulations for building bridges in Quincy would be the responsibility of the city’s planning and zoning board. If passed, anyone seeking a permit to build a bridge in Quincy would have to go through and get approval from the city’s planning and zoning board. 

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