Share This Article
Dear Editor,
We have been living at 85 Lincoln Road, in Sudbury, since 1997. We are 0.4 miles from Sherman’s Bridge.
Our sons went to LSRHS and for decades used Sherman’s Bridge for everything from boating, fishing and bird watching to stargazing, eclipse watching and sunsets. I can remember vividly locating our “lost” boys quietly sitting under the bridge with their toes in the water.
We frequently hear the revving of vehicle engines as they leave the wooden bridge and accelerate onto Lincoln Road’s asphalt. Many times we ran for pets and kids and balls in the road when we heard the noise of the engines.
Although our children have moved away, I dread any alterations to Sherman’s Bridge that would risk or encourage continuous speeding from both directions.
Visitors we have hosted have remarked, without exception, on the unbelievable beauty of the river environment, while standing on such a historical and fitting element of our history.
What does the asphalt and steel bridge bring to the neighborhood? Is it progress and speed at the cost of beauty and history? With our necessary cell phones and tablets and laptops, we are encouraged to move through this short life at faster and faster speeds. On our current Sherman’s Bridge vehicle travels, you can actually and safely slow down and sneak a peek at the river environment, or the setting sun. I doubt that will still be a safe option with the increased speeds projected on the new surface.
I’m not resistant or opposed to progress, but if we continue to ignore history and beauty for the sake of progress, we eventually lose.
If so, then all we might have left may be sentimental memories and cell phones photos of the lost beauty.
Please consider carefully. I hope the next generation of families living here, surrounded by this natural beauty, will enjoy a historically accurate Sherman’s Bridge.
—Dennis Mortimer