Phase one of Mass Pike weekend construction almost complete
Phase one of MassDOT's weekend project in Newton and Weston on the Mass Pike is almost over.
Construction is to demolish and replace a bridge running over the MBTA railroad.
MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said the lane closures went as planned.
'People took alternate routes or they adjusted their plans, and really we avoided the extreme delays that could've occurred otherwise,' Gulliver said. 'There was some heavy delays going through that site at one point yesterday. We saw it reach close to an hour, but that's nothing like it could've been.'
MassDOT reduced travel to one lane in each direction on Friday night.
Officials were preparing for up to three-hour delays if everyone who normally travels between exits 123 and 125 in Newton and Weston drove on through.
Drivers Lars and Kim Waldmann said they avoided the Mass Pike altogether and took back roads to get to their destination.
'I have to commute on Route 128 to work every day, so I really didn't want to sit in traffic this weekend,' Lars Waldmann said.
Uber driver Rick Higgins also dodged the long line of cars on Sunday.
'Once I saw that it was backed up, I tried to hop on 95, which I was successful in doing,' Higgins explained. 'So I avoided it, lucky me, I'm trying to avoid it, who likes to sit in traffic?'
Phase two of the construction project will be the exact same, but traffic will be moved to the Westbound side of the turnpike during the weekend of June 20.
'That's the second lightest weekend of the summer this year so again, that's the reason we picked these weekends,' Gulliver said. 'Not a lot of events going on in the city and we're going to be asking for the same level of cooperation we got this time and hopefully we get it and things remain manageable for that weekend as well.'
The phase one lane closures end Monday at 5 a.m.
MassDOT said by doing the project in phases, it allows crews to get the work done in two weekends rather than two years.,
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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