Tobin Bridge Maintenance, Lane Restrictions

The necessary structural maintenance, painting, and cleaning project is now underway by MassDOT's contractor on the Tobin Memorial Bridge connecting Charlestown with Chelsea.

During the painting project beginning this month through approximately November and resuming in spring 2013, the Tobin Bridge will be reduced from three lanes in each direction to two in the area where work is occurring.

One-half of the two outside travel lanes will be restricted using barriers. The remaining area is being striped and marked to provide two full lanes in both directions.

During work, crews are installing shielding throughout the duration of the project to reduce or prevent inconveniences or safety issues for drivers or nearby businesses and residents.

The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2014.  To learn more, please visit the MassDOT Tobin Bridge project website.

Comments

[Christina]

Anyone know when the 3 lanes will be open again in each direction? The comments below indicate November 30th, but it's December 3rd and they're still limited to 2.
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As of today, December 3, the lower level of the Tobin has been restored to 3 lanes.

For the upper level, all barriers have been removed with temporary barrels in place until all traffic markings can be removed. Last week's weather forced cancellation of 2 overnight work schedules last week, which delayed the work to remove the final markings on the upper level. That work is scheduled for tonight and should be completed in time for all 3 lanes to open tomorrow morning.

[Another tortured commuter]

I can't believe in addition to the headaches this "construction project" has caused, you've reduced the number of lanes that accept fast lane/EZ pass. Why are there only 2 lanes that accept it and are backed up when all the cash lanes are wide open yet those lanes no longer accept the EZ Pass? Just another way to torture commuters. And I hardly consider a 2 year painting project a good use of taxpayer money. Why not actually improve the bridge?
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Thanks for the comments. The current painting and rehabilitation project is necessary work to maintain the long term structural stability of the bridge and will thus improve the bridge for use in the decades ahead.

[M Moreschi]

Traffic on the Tobin Bridge is a nightmare and I've yet to see one worker heading into Boston in the morning out home at night, at this rate this project will never be completed on time. I understand that the lanes will all be re-opened after November 30th, another great move by the Mass DOT why not due it a week earlier and save those commuting for the Thanksgiving holiday the extra grief. Who cares if the work stops at noon the day before Thanksgiving if the lane reductions are still in place none of that matter.

[Linda]

Absolutely agree with Dave's comment below. The intersection that he writes about is basically a dangerous free for all. Not once in all these months have I seen any type of law enforcement presence there to reign in the mayhem. I really think you need to take a look at this before the bridge closures start up again in the spring. Looking forward to November 30th!

[Laurie]

I'm afraid I'm not clear on what is meant by the work being "scaled back" for the winter. Will all lanes be available for travel, or, as the website implies, are these reductions permanent through the end of the job (2014)?
I'm a pretty patient commuter, but have to agree with some of the other comments that charging full tolls while unable keep traffic flowing is just insult to injury....
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Thanks for your comments. The current schedule calls for lane restrictions on the bridge to be removed on Friday, November 30th. Then, 3 lanes will be open in each direction through winter. Lane restrictions will go back in place in March 2013 as work continues.

[Laurie]

With regard to the October 25 comment, what does "scaled back" for the winter mean? Will all lanes be open? Website post does imply that the lane reductions are permanent thru 2014 completion. And it really is unconscionable that, in the absence of the ability to keep traffic flowing, we still have to pay the same tolls....insult to injury....

[Toni]

The sign states thru November..Does mean it will end in November? or is it weather permitting? Hoping to see an end in sight.
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Yes, the work continues weather permitting and once ended for winter will resume in spring 2013.

[Matt]

I've seen conflicted reports regarding the lane closures during the winter months. One says the closures are for the duration of the project the other states only until "approximately" November and then will be put back in place in the Spring of 2013.

Does anyone know if we will get any relief in the winter from the horrendous traffic this creates for commuters?
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Yes, the Tobin work and related closures will be scaled back between mid-November and March, exact timing to depend on weather conditions.

[Dave]

There should be better, safer and more organized merged traffic lanes congestion management in especially 1 particular area of this project, at commuting rush hours. This is on the northbound exit off of Rutherford Ave. in Charlestown, onto the Bridge. The confluence of home-commuting traffic there, between lanes coming down Rutherford Ave., traffic exiting from the O'Neil Bridge, and students and staff leaving adjacent Bunker Hill Community College, is absolutely brutal, chaotic and extremely dangerous. Especially where, at the fork where folks can either go straight towards the North End or the exit to Storrow Bridge, and the no-turn-on-red onramp to the Bridge northbound, people will nonetheless run the red light or, even worse, illegally turn right when they are actually in the straightbound traffic--causing really dangerous driving and potential accident situations. This should really be looked into, monitored and reorganized better, it's inexcusable.

[Jim]

I travel over the Tobin almost daily. I cross southbound at around 10:00 each morning. Why is that I rarely see anyone working? The reasons that it is going to take two years to complete the job, and create two year's worth of commuter headaches, appears to be that no one is working on the project.
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Thanks for the comment. The current work schedule has crews working 6 days per week and 12 hour shifts, including work above and below the staging area seen on the bridge.

[Alise]

This is absolute garbage. Three dollars for an extra hour of traffic. Excellent choice closing a lane with Rt. 16 still with construction...really appreciate my money being well spent.

[NorthShore Commuter2]

Has anyone seen a daily schedule for the cleaning or a good website to monitor the traffic on the Tobin?

I have tried to leave at 6am, but am still hitting bumper to bumper on the southbound.
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There are 3 Tobin-area cameras on the MassDOT Live Traffic Cams website: http://www1.eot.state.ma.us/boswebcammulview.aspx

[NorthShore Commuter #FAIL]

How can you cripple the North Shore commuters like this? Two years?????

[Nicole]

Painting the Tobin Bridge is like putting a bandaid on a severed limb...