Major Mass Pike traffic delays near Boston anticipated again for 2nd weekend of lane closures
Major traffic delays are anticipated near Boston again this weekend as a second round of lane closures is scheduled to accommodate construction work on the Mass Pike in Newton and Weston, Massachusetts.
There will only be one lane open in each direction between exits 123 and 125, near the I-95 interchange. Crews are finishing the demolition of a highway bridge that goes over the MBTA railroad. It's part of a $400 million project to repair eight bridges in the state.
"I guess they have to do it at some point because it's such a huge construction project," said Terry Taylor, who uses the Pike to get into Boston.
MassDOT is once again telling drivers to avoid that part of the Mass Pike all weekend if possible.
"We had thought about going down to the Cape this weekend and when we saw the sign we said, guess we're not going to the Cape this weekend," said Andrea Bien-Asciola, who's visiting from New Hampshire.
When are the Mass Pike lane closures?
Lanes will be closed starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 20 until 5 a.m. on Monday, June 23.
"Drivers traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution," the agency said in a statement.
It's possible that the delays could extend into the Monday morning commute.
Mass Pike traffic
Before the first round of construction between May 30 and June 2, highway administrator Jonathan Gulliver warned that there could be delays of up to three hours on the Mass Pike if drivers didn't follow the recommendation to stay away. Typically, that part of the highway sees about 100,000 cars on an average weekend day.
A MassDOT spokesperson said that during the first weekend closure, there was a roughly 30% to 36% decrease in traffic volume. Wait times on the Mass Pike peaked at one hour.
Why this weekend?
Gulliver said this weekend was carefully chosen for the lane closures.
"This is the lightest traffic weekend of the summer. When we choose these weekends, we really look at what events are going on in the city. We look at historical travel data and this is this is one of the lightest travel weekends of the entire summer, which is why we chose this," he told WBZ-TV Friday. "We expect that it's going to be lower volumes anyways but really, we want to get the message out. It's going to be impactful. Use your mapping apps, those are going to help you get around."
MBTA and Amtrak issues
There will also be impacts felt by MBTA riders. The Commuter Rail on the Framingham/Worcester Line will be shut down between South Station and Framingham to accommodate the work, as will the Amtrak train between Boston and Albany. Shuttle buses will be offered instead during the weekend.
