Thanks to Greg Reibman for sending out a notice to the Newton/Needham Chamber of Commerce about the Add-A-Lane meeting to be held tonight in Needham, updating that community about the closures and re-working of roadways on Newton’s western border that can be expected to occur in the near future. The Add-A-Lane Project is NOT on Newton’s soil, so Newton is not, and has never been, invited to hold public meetings with the MassDOT engineers who are honsho-ing this mega expensive, Federally funded, project. But, Newton has been, and will continue to be, undeniably affected by the implementation of this plan. Highland Avenue will be closed. Route 9 will be closed. Eliot Street’s bridge is now closed. How will traffic in Newton be affected? Who is watching out for Newton residents’ interests? Tonight is the best AND POSSIBLY ONLY time for Newton residents to get answers to their concerns about what is going on with this project! Here is the meeting info:
I-95 Add-A-Lane Highway Project Update
WHEN: Wed. Sept. 21, 6:30-8:30 P.M.
WHERE: Powers Hall, Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Ave., Needham
I’m not sure how stealth it is, but thanks Sallee.
However, for the record, the Eliot Bridge project has nothing to do with MassDOT.
It will be great to see lots of Newton friends at Needham Town Hall where you can experience a public meeting where — as opposed to the death pews in the Council Chamber — the chairs are actually comfortable! I kid you not!
Oh and check out one of downtown Needham’s many restaurants while you’re there.
Greg: First of all…this is a NEWTON blog! I wouldn’t dream of such disloyal advertising of Needham’s Restaurants (such as Blue on Highland, where I plan to go before the meeting) on Newton’s VILLAGE 14! Secondly, the meeting was not advertised to Newton residents. The City Council has an important Transportation Discussion with all the City Councilors tonight, and I am afraid none of them will attend. Third, while the Eliot Bridge is not MassDOT’s bailiwick, the coordination of traffic detours and disruptions inflicted on Newton residents by the possibility of more than one bridge/street closing at a time, should be!
@Sallee: On behalf of my friends in Needham, thanks in advance for your contribution this evening to the town’s meal tax.
As for the larger overall traffic challenge, in order for us to successfully manage our traffic challenges, there’s three jurisdictions that need to work together: Newton, Needham and the state. Anything less won’t work.
OK…I cast aspersions where none were warranted. On Oct. 19 MassDOT will hold an update meeting on Add-A-Lane at Newton City Hall! Tonight at the Needham meeting run by MassDOT, their spokesman Nathaniel Curtis promised that he had already reserved a meeting place at City Hall to update Newton on critical closings that will occur in October and November on two separate weekends. The closings involve Highland Avenue at Rte 128 and Route 128/I-95 at Rte 9. More details of these detours to follow.
Don’t worry! Because for one weekend in November we won’t be able to get Needham via 128. 🙂 Can’t get there by the Elliott Bridge either.
Local traffic will be terrible that weekend.
As if we won’t all be stressed enough the weekend before the election!
@NewtonMom: You are right, traffic will be terrible that weekend. But let’s remember that no one wanted to close the Elliot Street Bridge. It was an emergency closing, the bridge was failing. It had to be fixed and could not wait.
A perfect storm?
Greg,
You are correct. That bridge was failing, but I can’t imagine traffic. I can’t imagine trying to get from Newton to the Needham Sheraton for a Bar Mitzvah or wedding!
Hoping there is no Patriots Game that night!
You will be able to get to the Sheraton from Newton easily, since that’s all on the Newton side of I-95 but Needham folks will have trouble getting to the Sheraton.
That’s a Pats by-week. I suspect MassDOT considered stuff like that when scheduling.
As noted in the thread about the meeting in Needham on Wednesday night opposite the meetings of the two relevant committees of the City C ouncil, Mass DOT did announce that there will be a meeting in Newton on October 19 to discuss the demolition of Highland Avenue. Since the Elliot Street/Central Avenue Bridge is still out and much of the diverted traffic seems to have wound up on the Kenrick Street ramp to the N2 District, it seems like this might make a bad situation worse.
You might want to call the Mayor’s office and the offices of our State Senator and State Representatives to get the latest information since Mass. DOT had no further information.
And please don’t forget the businesses along Elliot Street and nearby on Chestnut Street that have lost business due to the Elliot Bridge closing. The Echo
Bridge Service Station, the Echo Bridge Restaurant , and Dunn-Gaherin Restaurant on Elliot Street particularly need and deserve your business from now through December , not just when Highland Avenue is closed.
City Councilor Brian Yates
Someone might want to suggest to Dunn-Gaherin and others that they put a notice on their Directions pages of their web sites mentioning the bridge closure and giving ways to get past the bridge closure.