Businesses Say Never-Ending Bridge Project Is Hurting Bottom Line

DANVERS (CBS) - Let's be honest: Who doesn't like to whine about construction?

But fair to say, residents in Danvers have plenty of reason to complain.

The Water Street Bridge project on Route 35, which connects the town to neighboring Salem, has been a work in progress since 2008.

"It's a mess. It's been too long. And something has got to be done about it," said Sandy Casale, who frequently navigates the North Shore stretch of roadway.

The project started the same year Richard Ventura and his family decided to open up a Dunkin' Donuts and liquor store. They never imagined the construction would still create a headache for customers eight years later.

"I think the whole town is frustrated," Ventura said. "It's been terribly inconvenient. I mean it's kind of outrageous actually."

At the next-door restaurant, owner Giuseppe Mimouni said the never-ending project has not just taken a bite out of his bottom line. The drilling from the heavy equipment has also caused the drywall to crack.

"It can be a little like an earthquake!" Mimouni said. "I can't wait for it to be done."

There is a major reason the construction has languished for so many years. In 2011, the original project had to be cancelled because of a design flaw.

According to a Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) spokesman, the soft river sediments resulted in significant and unanticipated erosion in front of temporary sheeting that was installed when work began in 2008.

"Because of the erosion issue, the project had to be completely re-engineered," explained a MassDOT statement. "This lead to the original project being terminated, while the analysis and redesign was performed."

Work on the new contract commenced again in 2013. The original contract cost $3.1 million, but some of the materials purchased were later used for the current project, MassDOT said.

According to the MassDOT website, the second version of the project has a construction contract value of $7.1 million.

The state transportation agency said the bridge is on schedule for completion by the end of 2016.

Residents remain baffled about how a bridge so short could take so long to finish.

"We're not talking about the Zakim Bridge!" Casale exclaimed.

Ryan Kath can be reached at rkath@cbs.com. You can follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.