Latest news with #MassPike
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
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. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
CBS News
10 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Monday morning commute expected to be normal after weekend Mass Pike closure, MassDOT says
Traffic should be normal for Monday morning commute following Mass Pike closure, MassDOT says Traffic should be normal for Monday morning commute following Mass Pike closure, MassDOT says Traffic should be normal for Monday morning commute following Mass Pike closure, MassDOT says Officials with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said traffic should be "normal" Monday morning after weekend closures on the Mass Pike caused lots of disruptions and frustration for drivers. Construction on a new bridge has reduced traffic to one lane in both directions on a two-mile stretch of the Mass Pike on the Newton-Weston town line. All weekend long, traffic has been bumper to bumper in this area. It's all part of a massive bridge replacement project by the I-95 interchange. To take a live look at the current delays, head to the Mass 511 map. State Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver told WBZ-TV that the traffic will speed back up Monday morning when all the lanes are reopened. "That commute tomorrow should be pretty good for you after 5 a.m., once the road is fully restored," said Gulliver. "I'd expect a little bit of residual traffic to clear through and then should be a normal Monday morning commute any time after 5:15, 5:30." Gulliver advised commuters to delay the start of their day until after the roads reopen at 5 a.m. A second weekend of closures is planned for Friday, June 20, at 9 p.m. until Monday, June 23, at 5 a.m.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mass. Pike lane closures in Newton, Weston to cause heavy delays. Here's what you need to know
Weekend lane closures are in effect on the Mass. Pike as crews aim to replace the I-90 bridge over the MBTA railroad. The closures on I-90 will be between exits 123 and 125 in Weston and Newton, a two-mile stretch from the Ridgeway Road bridge in Weston to the Commonwealth Avenue overpass in Newton. MassDOT is reducing traffic to one lane in each direction until Monday at 5 a.m. 'They'll be demolishing the roof of that existing tunnel and then replacing it with prefabricated bridge unit. This will be happening over the next couple of days,' Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. Peak traffic could cause up to three hours of delays and officials strongly advise drivers to avoid the area if possible. The project is also temporarily shutting down the commuter rail this weekend. 'They'll be on shuttle buses, that's both Amtrak and the MBTA out from as far as Worcester, if you're coming in, you're going to be on a shuttle bus; they have their own detour routes that they'll be using throughout the weekend,' Gulliver said. Phase two of the project will be the weekend of June 20th. buses. MassDOT says they are working with state and local law enforcement. Drivers are encouraged to make extra time, but also, most importantly, slow down. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Mass Pike construction underway as lane closures cause major disruptions for drivers
Construction on the Mass Pike near the Newton-Weston town line in Massachusetts is now underway, backing up traffic as the highway is down to one lane in both directions. Saturday morning, as expected, traffic conditions were already shown as slow on the Mass 511 map. MassDOT has closed a 2-mile stretch of the Pike from Weston to Newton, leaving only one lane open in each direction. It's all part of a massive bridge replacement project by the I-95 interchange. The lane closures this weekend start at Friday, May 30 at 9 p.m. and last through Monday, June 2 at 5 a.m. Residual delays could extend into the Monday morning commute, transportation officials said. The bridge construction impacts the Commuter Rail as well, shutting down part of the Worcester Line. Shuttle buses will replace trains between Framingham and South Station.
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Drivers stressed about weekend Mass Pike closures, traffic delays
A traffic headache is expected on the Mass Pike this weekend as MassDOT shuts down a large portion of the roadway to make way for a bridge repair project. Crews are demolishing and replacing a bridge over the MBTA railroad tracks on the Newton/Weston border. "I think I'll cry," said Catherine Carney, a Logan Express bus driver who will be on the job this weekend driving her route from Framingham and will have few options. "Personally, I will probably just follow the Pike because if we go through the roads out in the towns, they're going to be just as swamped," Carney said. Mass Pike shutdown begins Friday night That will be the word this weekend as the shutdown begins 9:00 p.m. Friday and ends 5:00 a.m. Monday near the I-95 interchange. It will be in Fernando Pereira's direction to work in Boston. "I think they have to figure out how to make this work better because it's a lot of stress in this situation," Pereira said. The plan is to close a two-mile stretch leaving only one lane in each direction on the eastbound side of the Mass Pike. The advice is to avoid the area or plan ahead for alternate routes into the city such as Route 2. Derek Wheeler needs to get his son to a tournament soccer game. "Unfortunately we're going to have to take Route 9 as far as we can and wind our way through Cambridge and Watertown essentially," Wheeler said. Mike Mills is boarding a bus to the airport hours early just in case. "I don't want to miss my flight," Mills said. "I think that's the thing I'm most stressed about." Impact to rail service Shuttle buses will also replace Commuter Rail service on the Worcester Line trains between Framingham and South Station. On Amtrak, the Boston to Chicago route is impacted and buses will run between Albany, New York and Boston. MassDOT says it chose weekends it hopes will have the most minimal impact because the shutdown will occur again the weekend of June 20. "First and foremost, leave yourself a lot of extra time. Use the tools that are out there," said MassDOT highway administrator Jonathan Gulliver.
