Social media program provides construction updates

Mass Innovations, From the Beacon, March 2015

In the midst of an estimated $1.7 billion in private and public construction projects, most of which are expected to be completed by 2017, Salem is using social media to keep people informed about possible disruptions.

The public information campaign, known as BuildingSalem, makes use of Facebook and Twitter to get the word out on road closings, traffic delays and noise issues. During 2014, the first year of the program, more than 270 project updates were sent out.

As of late February, BuildingSalem had sent more than 200 tweets to nearly 440 followers and received more than 960 “likes” on Facebook. Updates are also posted on the BuildingSalem website (www.buildingsalem.com).

“It’s going to be dusty and dirty and noisy at times, especially when there are large road construction projects,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who noted that the city of 42,000 sits on just eight square miles. “The least we can do is keep people aware of when it’s going to happen and how it’s going to happen.

“We know that people can get frustrated when the projects might impact how they get to work or get to school, or when someone’s water has to get cut off because we’re upgrading the line,” Driscoll added.

Among recent posts was one from National Grid, which is replacing century-old, oil-filled cables that run under city streets. A Feb. 17 tweet from the utility company included a link to a brochure that explains why, and how, the cables will be replaced.

The largest project underway is the demolition of a coal-fired power plant, built in 1950, to make way for a much more efficient natural-gas plant. The gas plant will free up about 25 acres for redevelopment, including walkways and a new docking space for small cruise ships, according to Driscoll.

A three-phase improvement project is underway on Canal Street, which runs south to Salem State University, according to Dominick Pangallo, Driscoll’s chief of staff.

The first phase, completed last year, involved underground infrastructure to make a section of the street less susceptible to flooding. The second step included street-level improvements such as landscaping, curb cuts and wheelchair ramps. The third involves a stormwater storage facility that will be built beneath Salem State’s athletic facility.

Other projects in the works include the expansion of Salem Hospital, mixed-use development planned for the North River Canal Corridor, and a utility plant project at the Peabody Essex Museum.

For more information, contact Mayor Kim Driscoll at (978) 619-5600.