Lowell bridge closed amid large first responder response, police say

A fire truck lowering a boat into the Merrimack River in Lowell, Massachusetts, during a public safety operation on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026.

Fire response and evacuations

A bridge in Lowell, Massachusetts, is closed for public safety operations, police said Tuesday.

It wasn’t immediately clear what led to the closure of the O’Donnell Memorial Bridge, which carries School Street over the Merrimack River.

But Lowell police noted a large number of officers and firefighters were in the area. Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

They urged driers to find other ways around and to avoid the area, if possible.

More information wasn’t immediately available, including what type of public safety operations were underway Tuesday afternoon.

A fire truck was seen lowering a small boat into the river, with first responders along the bridge and along a bank of the river.