Argilla Road, a key point of access for thousands of visitors to the Crane Estate and Crane Beach as well as for residents and fishermen and clammers, is facing increasing challenges because of rising sea level exacerbated by more frequent and severe storms. In fact, this essential road and the surrounding landscape were identified as one of The Trustees’ properties most susceptible to climate change impacts by an extensive climate vulnerability assessment (CVA) carried out in partnership with the Woods Hole Group in 2017.

As a result, the Town of Ipswich and The Trustees are collaborating on a project to raise an approximately half-mile stretch of Argilla Road between the Castle Hill and Crane Beach entrances. The design work completed to date has been funded by Coastal Resilience Grants from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). The project was recently added to the State’s Transportation Improvement Project list which provides construction funding for the summers of 2028 and 2029. We are currently fundraising to close the gap on final design and permitting.

Along with raising the level of the pavement, the team is planning for nature-based designs to protect the side slopes of the elevated road from erosion, and also to replace a culvert under Argilla Road with a larger design that will allow for greater exchange of tidal water in the salt marsh. CZM views the project as a statewide priority, and an opportunity to pilot an innovative approach that will provide a roadmap for building resilience in similar coastal roads across the state.

Explore our Storymap below to learn more about the road, the problem, and our project: