From 9PM Friday, May 30 to 5AM Monday, June 2, the Mass Pike (I-90) will be reduced to one lane in each direction between Exit 123 (I-95 / Rte 128) and Exit 125 (Newton Corner) to facilitate a key part of MassDOT’s major construction project to replace eight Mass Pike bridges near the I-90 / I-95 interchange. During this time, a new bridge (for one direction of the Mass Pike) will be installed over the Commuter Rail/Amtrak lines.
Mayor Fuller warns that during this time, “Newton is the ‘gridlock’ epicenter. Backups on the Mass Pike are expected to be 2-3 hours with drivers using a lot of other roads to attempt to avoid the backups.”
MassDOT says: “Significant traffic impacts will be felt between Boston and Framingham.”
Traffic will likely spill over into Newton to the east-west routes of Commonwealth Avenue, Watertown Street, Washington Street, Beacon Street, and Route 9 — and to north-south routes of Chestnut, Walnut, and Centre Streets as well as Waverly and Glen Avenues, and probably many side roads.
This same traffic restriction and traffic spillover will occur again on the weekend of June 20-23, when a second bridge will be installed over the Commuter Rail/Amtrak lines for the other direction of the Mass Pike.
On both of these weekends, Commuter Rail trains will be replaced by bus service during this same time.
