The end of construction seems to be coming into sight for the new North Washington Street Bridge. The project that has taken several years, and is years beyond the original completion date, is entering a significant milestone when vehicular pedestrian traffic will be relocated from the temporary bridge to the permanent bridge on the east side by next Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.
Department of Transportation official John Romano announced the news at the November meeting of the North End Waterfront Neighborhood Council.
DOT officials laid out the work that has been completed by November 2023 that include:
Cracked welds repaired
Alll structural steel is installed
Waterproofing of the bridge deck
100% of concrete deck placements are completed
100% of the permanent utilities are installed and completed
Most concrete sidewalks are completed
The upcoming work to be completed in December 2023, includes:
Vehicular and pedestrian traffic will move from the temporary bridge to the east side of the permanent bridge.
The left turn land inbound to Commercial Street off the bridge will remain open.
Demolition and removal of the temporary bridge to begin once all traffic has been shifted to the new bridge.
Lovejoy Walkway beneath the bridge will not be constructed or open until the end of the project in Fall 2024.
The new bridge will be fully open to traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists in December 2024 with a project closeout in March, 2025.
District 1 Councilor Gabriela Coletta after the meeting said, ““I’m pleased to see incremental progress and graduation from the use of the temporary bridge. I’ll still be advocating for the safety of all pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists as the project continues. We still encourage individuals to reach out to MassDOT and the offices of both the North End and Charlestown delegation should there be issues.”
The Construction look-ahead through December 9 includes:
Traffic and Pedestrian Shift to East Portion of New Bridge
• Beginning the morning of Saturday, December 9, 2023, all vehicle and pedestrian traffic will move to the east portion of the new bridge. The shift will be completed by the evening of Saturday December 9.
• The pedestrian sidewalk will be located on the east portion of the new bridge.
• Signs will be mounted to request that bicyclists dismount and walk their bikes along the pedestrian path as there is no bike lane during this stage of construction.
• After the weekend traffic shift, MassDOT will begin the process of demolishing the temporary bridge on Monday, December 11 in preparation for construction of the western portion of the new bridge.
• Please see the image below for more information.
Scheduled Work
• Off-bridge approach barrier and sidewalk work
• Off-bridge utility work and cutovers to permanent bridge
• Temporary line striping
Work Hours
• Most work will be done during weekday daytime hours (6:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).
Contraflow Pilot
• The MassDOT-implemented contraflow pilot will continue to be in effect when traffic shifts onto the new bridge during evening peak traffic (3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday.
• Police details, lane markings, temporary barriers, traffic cones, signage, and other tools will be used to control traffic during set up and operation of the contraflow.
Travel Tips
For everyone using the temporary bridge and eventually the east portion of the new bridge, please help share the space: walk to the right, walk bikes, and be mindful of people coming from both directions, if walking in a large group.
Drivers should take care to pay attention to all signage and move carefully through the work zone. Police details, lane markings, temporary barriers, traffic cones, signage, and other tools will be used to control traffic and create safe work zones.
The Tudor Wharf Walkway (under the bridge next to the water in Paul Revere Park) will be intermittently closed for safety during construction operations, with access provided via the Water Street underpass. The Boston Harborwalk under the bridge and eastern/harborside bridge sidewalk remain closed until rebuilt.
The contractor is coordinating with the TD Garden and local police to provide awareness and manage traffic impacts during events. For your awareness, the following TD Garden events are scheduled during this look-ahead period:
• BRUINS: Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.,Dec. 3 at 7 p.m., Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., and 1Dec. 9 at 1 p.m.
• CELTICS: Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Potential tournament games (locations and times TBA): Dec. 4,5,6 and 8.
• OTHER EVENTS: Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 6 at 8 p.m.
How can I find more information?
Stay up-to-date and informed by following the @MassDOT twitter account and Mass 511 for real-time updates, visiting the project website, or emailing us with any questions.
You can also sign up to receive project updates via email by clicking this link.
Project email: [email protected].