Lane Closures on Comm Ave Again
Roadwork to reduce westbound lanes through Friday morning
One westbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue will close overnights this week as workers fill in a dip in the roadway, part of an ongoing reconstruction of the busy thoroughfare. Photo by Cydney Scott
- 855-881 Comm Ave will lose one lane westbound during five overnights
- Closure accommodates workers filling in a dip in the road
- Cyclists, pedestrians to have access through work area
Starting yesterday and continuing over the next four nights, only one lane of the westbound side of Commonwealth Avenue will be open while workers fill in a dip in the road.
Weather permitting, the work, which will involve the portion of the westbound road between the College of Fine Arts, at 855 Comm Ave, and 881 Comm Ave, will continue overnights until 5:30 a.m. on Friday, November 17.
According to the state, during the daytime hours of 5 a.m. through 7 p.m., two lanes will be open westbound (a third lane is already closed for work). From 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. each day, one lane will be open. Signage will guide drivers during closures, but the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) said in a statement that it “encourages drivers to seek alternate routes, if possible, to avoid delays.”
The statement also said that “drivers that must travel through the affected area should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution while traveling through the work zone.”
Bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to travel through the work area during this time to minimize public disruptions, MassDOT said.
“This dip needs to be filled to improve the existing sidewalk and the crossing to the BU West [Green Line trolley stop] to ensure compliance” with federal disability access law, says Jacquelyn Goddard, MassDOT communications director.
The work is part of an ongoing reconstruction of Comm Ave to improve its safety, handicapped accessibility, and aesthetics. The work is scheduled to end in 2019 and includes sidewalk construction and resetting of sidewalk bricks, curb installations, protected bike lanes to separate cyclists from traffic and parked cars, islands construction, and traffic light work.
Last summer, as part of the work, the state replaced the eastbound lanes of the Comm Ave bridge over the Massachusetts Turnpike, along with the sidewalk, bike lanes, and trolley tracks. The work required closing a stretch of the avenue and the BU Bridge to most motor vehicles for almost three weeks, while buses replaced Green Line trolleys between Blandford and Babcock Streets.
The state used accelerated bridge construction techniques, which involved prefabricating portions of the bridge and then transporting them on site for installation. Work crews also labored 24/7 during construction.
Next summer, the same techniques will be used to replace the westbound lanes of the same area. The $110 million bridge project will replace the deteriorated, half-century-old steel beams and concrete surface.
Comm Ave accommodates 30,000 drivers and 26,000 Green Line riders daily.
Comments & Discussion
Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.