According to the Boston Globe, the state will shut down a section of Rte. 128 in November while they demolish the Highland Ave Bridge. The closure is expected to take place from Nov. 4 – 6.
Plan your vacations now.
Rte 128 to close for two days in November
by Gail Spector | Sep 22, 2016 | Newton, traffic | 10 comments
The Globe article doesn’t say much about how the closure will work and what the detour routes will be. Fortunately, a comment on the Globe’s article by someone attending the meeting provided key details:
Exactly @Bruce. What will be closed in Highland Ave., as traffic from I-95 will be diverted via the exit 19A and B on and off ramps.
I would’ve thought they’d route the southbound traffic down Hunting to the onramp at the newly-opened half-interchange at Kendrick, and route the northbound traffic from the Kendrick offramp through the Industrial Center.
But this makes it sound as though they’ll have the traffic get off and then make an immediate u-turn on Highland (e.g. in front of Muzi and in front of Mighty Subs) to get back on?
Sudden thought: they could actually just construct some temporary asphalt ramps over the Highland Av. median, from the offramp to the onramp.
At the meeting in Needham last night opposite the meetings of the Public Facilities and Public Safety and Transportation Committtees, Mass. DOT announced that they will have a meeting on October 19 to talk about the issues that the demolition of Highland Avenue will cause. They did not announce a location or an exact time.
Since the Elliot Street/Central Avenue bridge is still under re-construction, a lot of traffic is already diverted onto the Highland Avenue Corridor and to the new Kenrick Street ramp, this seems to be likely to make a bad situation worse.
City Councilor Brian Yates
The businesses on Elliot Street in Newton ,. Central Avenue in Needham and the surrounding areas have lost patronage since the bridge was closed.
The Echo Bridge Service Station on Chestnut Street, the Echo Bridge Restaurant at the corner of Elliot and Chestnut Street, and Dunn-Gaherin restaurant have been particularly impacted by the bridge closure. and I’m sure they would appreciate your business until the bridge is re-opened. in December.
For the news about the October 19 Newton meeting on the Highland Avenue Bridge,
you might want to call the Mayor’s office and the Offices of our State legislators.
Presumably MASS DOT will promptly notify them.
City Councillor Brian Yates
That’s the day of my daughters wedding, November 6 in Salem, my brother is coming south so i told them to take route 24 to the pike so the newton wellesley exit is open to go north right? What a pain, it’s going to detour from the highland st exit to where and where on 128N do you pick it up. judy
Judy: There will be lots of information about detours available here and elsewhere before then but yes the exit ramp at Newton Wellesley and the Pike itself will be open as usual.
Citizen Assistance Officer Terry Crowley in the Mayor’s office told me that the Mass. Department of Transportation public meeting on the Highland Avenue construction work in Needham over 128 will begin at 6:30 PM in the War Memorial at City Hall..
Councilor Brian Yates
A copy of MassDOT’s Sept. 21 presentation at Needham Town Hall about this project can be found here.