A Massachusetts river will lose its only drawbridge for years

The US Coast Guard is permanently closing the Hall Whitaker Bridge over the Bass River in Beverly, Massachusetts. This means boats will no longer be able to pass under the bridge, which will be replaced by a fixed structure.

The Bass River is a tidal river, but it is not a major shipping lane. This change means that any boat that cannot clear a fixed bridge will no longer be able to access the upper reaches of the river. For local boaters, this means a permanent change to how they use the waterway.