cartoon by Gerry Nelson

Please join Paul Marion and me this Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 10 am at the National Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street in Lowell for a 90-minute walking tour/exploration of the Lord Overpass and vicinity.

Here’s some background: The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is in the midst of planning the $15 million redesign of the Lord Overpass. That traffic circle and the adjacent roadways, will have an enormous impact on the Hamilton Canal District and the surrounding neighborhoods, most notably downtown, the Acre, and the lower Highlands.
The city of Lowell has public meeting for Monday, November 16 at 6 pm at the Lowell Senior Center on the Lord Overpass. The engineers designing the renovations will be present at this meeting to hear the ideas members of the public might have about the design.

This Saturday’s walk will give people a chance to walk the ground, to see the roads, sidewalks, crosswalks, traffic and everything else, up close and on foot, while Paul and I and others who participate point out the historical, cultural, and economic context of the many important entities and businesses in this area.

Here’s a sampling of what we will see:

• Hamilton Canal District
• Jackson Street Extension
• Judicial Center Site
• Mill No. 5
• Lord Overpass
• South Common
• Gallagher Terminal
• Lower Highlands shopping district
• Pailin Plaza (Cambodia Town)
• Western Avenue Studios
• Fletcher Street
• Western Canal Walkway
• American Textile History Museum
• Whistler House Museum of Art
• Gates Block
• Smith Baker Center
• much more.

So please join us this Saturday.