METHUEN — Mayor Neil Perry and Chief Joseph Solomon would like to announce the road closures and media logistics for those planning to attend the funeral services for Methuen resident and Lawrence Department of Public Works (DPW) worker Marcos Ruiz.
There will be two services: a wake and visiting hours on Wednesday, Jan. 22, and a funeral on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Drivers in the area should expect heavy traffic, delays and road closures over the next two days.
Businesses in the Loop shopping plaza will be open during the services. Access for the public will be limited to the entrance on Pleasant Valley Street at Milk Street, by the TGI Friday’s and Olive Garden restaurants.
Media members are invited to attend both events and, out of respect for those in attendance, are asked to adhere to the following guidelines, staging and parking information:
Wake and Visiting Hours:
Wednesday, public visiting hours will be from 4-8 p.m. at the Cataudella Funeral Home, 126 Pleasant Valley St., Methuen.
Media members are asked to park their vehicles at the rear of the office complex (126A Pleasant Valley Professional Office Complex) to the right of the Cataudella Funeral Home. The media staging area will be set up there.
There will be no road closures for this service, but travelers should expect heavy traffic and delays, and are encouraged to seek alternate routes.
Funeral:
On Thursday, road closures for the funeral will be in place from 10:30 a.m. until approximately 1 p.m.
Approximately 200 DPW vehicles from around the area are expected to start arriving around 10 a.m. to attend the services, and will be parked on both sides of Pleasant Valley Street along the section in front of the Loop.
The staging area for all visiting DPW vehicles will be in the Loop behind the AMC Methuen 20 Theater.
Media staging will be set up in the same area as the day before, in the Loop behind the AMC Methuen 20 Theater.
Pleasant Valley Street, from the entrance at TGI Friday’s to Jackson Street, will be closed to all traffic starting at 10:45 a.m. Old Mall Road will be closed to all traffic starting at that time as well.
Pleasant Valley Street will be closed from the funeral home to Jackson Street at 12:15 p.m.
The funeral procession is expected to leave the Cataudella Funeral Home at 12:30 p.m., travel west on Pleasant Valley Street and turn left on to Jackson Street, heading into Lawrence, then turn right onto Haverhill Street, left onto Amesbury Street, right onto Lowell Street and left onto Hampshire Street.
Once the funeral Mass at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, 300 Haverhill Street in Lawrence is over, the funeral procession will travel on Hampshire Street, turn left onto Cross Street, cross over Broadway, continue on Cross Street, turn left onto Manchester Street to Barker Street.
The media staging area in Lawrence will be at the intersection of Hampshire Street and Haverhill Street.
Once the funeral procession has left, all DPW vehicles will be dismissed and the roadway will be opened as soon as possible.
Signs, cones and detail officers will be in the area to help direct traffic during the closures.
We would like to thank the area DPW Directors, the New England Chapter of the American Public Workers Association and the Lawrence Police Department for their assistance.
###