PEABODY — Boy Scout Aiden Walsh has wanted to see a footbridge over a muddy path near his house since he was a little kid struggling to get his bike through that muck. Now 17, he’s taking matters into his own hands.
The 17-year-old Essex Tech junior and Peabody resident is building a 32-foot long concrete and wood footbridge between the Peabody Independence Greenway and Lalikos Park for his Eagle Scout project.
Weather permitting, he’ll be at the park building the bridge with 40 or so volunteers over the next two weekends. He hopes to have it open by May.
“This has been an idea in my head for years and the minute I was able to get started, I wanted to jump on it right away,” Walsh said.
He’s officially been working on the project for about a year now, and has raised $600 so far through a GoFundMe fundraiser to buy materials, food for volunteers when they’re at the site and upkeep on the bridge once it’s built.
Most of the materials he needs have been donated by the Building Center in Gloucester. He’s received help from his friend Zac Ouellette, who is a mason in Salem, Scoutmaster Jeff Serre, Boy Scout leader Ryan Morley, fellow members of Boy Scout Troop 59, his family and other volunteers.
“There’s way too many people to thank for this,” Walsh said. “This isn’t just my project — this is Peabody’s project.”
Christina Baran agreed. She stopped to thank Walsh for his work while out with her three dogs Tuesday evening, right after walking across a small wooden pallet that’s a makeshift (and not very effective) walkway over the muddy path the new bridge will cover.
Baran said she’s supported Walsh’s GoFundMe and shared it with her neighbors in Rolling Hills, the neighborhood off Lowell Street where the park is located.
“I might actually start crying because this means a lot,” Baran said after thanking Walsh. “It’s nice to see that sense of community and giving back.”
“It’s such a need in that area, because getting access from the park to the bike path has been challenging,” said Walsh’s mother, Ana Walsh. “I’m just blown away and super proud of him for finding something that was so meaningful to the community.”
For more information about the project and to donate, go to https://tinyurl.com/lalikosbridge.
Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.