'Unacceptable': Mayor Wu wants improvements after light pole falls on woman in Seaport
BOSTON -- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu spoke out Thursday about an "unacceptable" incident earlier this week in which a rusted pole fell over and hit a woman on Moakley Bridge.
It happened on Tuesday afternoon, and WBZ-TV's I-Team reported Wednesday that the city and the state knew about the problem before.
"What happened on the Moakley Bridge is absolutely unacceptable," Wu said. "I'm so thankful that thanks to the quick actions of our first responders and emergency medical services that a life was saved. But serious injuries from walking around our city is something that we just can't have happen."
The bridge was built in 1996.
The I-Team obtained a 66-page inspection report from January where "severe deficiencies" were found by state inspectors, and repairs were deemed necessary as soon as possible.
Boston 311 records show the city's known about the issues since 2017, with residents calling out rust and corrosion at the base of many of the lamp posts along the bridge on several occasions.
"311 is very helpful for the quick things that city teams come in and fix like potholes and street lights, help us flag every issue," Wu said. "But we need to do our part as well and not just leave it to 311 to point out something that might need a deeper inside look."
The Department of Public Works crews have now gone through and taken down 23 lamp posts along the Moakley Bridge and several on the Summer Street Bridge.
"It goes beyond light poles," the Mayor said. "We are a city that's nearly 400 years old, so we're doing a deep dive to ensure all that infrastructure is safe, secure, and keeps our city beautiful but is sound for everyone."
The I-Team learned that the woman hurt in the accident suffered head and leg injuries. The says there were no updates on her condition.