I-93/I-95 Randolph-Westwood New Travel Lanes Update

MassDOT construction crews this week will open the remaining sections of the new 4th travel lane on I-93 and I-95 between Randolph and Westwood.

The work is part of a $53.7 million project to widen a 5.5 mile section of Route I-93/Route I-95/ Route 128 between Randolph and Westwood to provide an additional travel lane in each direction.

The project stretches from Randolph on I-93 at the interchange with Route 24 (Exit 4), west toward Canton Junction where I-93 ends and becomes I-95 (Route 128), and continues along I-95 to Route 109 (Exit 16) in Westwood.

This week's new travel lane scheduled openings are listed below:

I-95 (Route 128) North between East Street (Exit 14) and just south of Route 109 (Exit 16) will open at 5:00 AM on Tuesday, November 27th.
 
I-95 (Route 128) North between the point where the on ramp from I-95 North ties in and East Street (Exit 14) will open at 5:00 AM on Wednesday, November 28th. 

I-93 South between Route 138 (Exit 2) and the point where I-95 (Route 128) North begins will open at 5:00 AM on Thursday, November 29th.

I-93 South between Ponkapoag Trail (Exit 3) and Route 138 (Exit 2) will open at 5:00 AM on Friday, November 30th.

I-93 South between Route 24 (Exit 4) and Ponkapoag Trail (Exit 3) will open at 5:00 AM on Saturday, December 1st. 

The schedule is subject to change if inclement weather occurs and delays the completion of required work items.

With the opening of the new fourth travel lane, the authorized use of the breakdown lane for travel during weekday peak commuting periods will be discontinued to enhance driver safety and provide emergency vehicle access. 

Comments

[Scared on 128 South]

There is nothing being done to stop drivers from continuing in the breakdown lane after 109 on 128 South, tonight I witnessed a tractor trailer trying to exit at RT1 force a speeding SUV into the grassy area between the on and off ramps because the SUV was driving at high speeds in the breakdown lane. We need a cruiser or barrels to stop people from turning this into a 5 lane death trap.
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Thanks for your comment. Barrels were in place for approximately 2 weeks after the lane was opened on the southbound side beginning on November 16. There was a message board on I-95 South just after Route 109 that advised NO BREAKDOWN LANE TRAVEL MERGE LEFT for several days following. There are numerous regulatory signs approaching the area where the Breakdown Lane use ends as well as throughout the corridor and at every on ramp. State Police are aware of the changes in the area.

[Joe Frustrated]

Nothing changed this morning at the Route 1 - Route 109 transition area. If anything it was the worst it has been all week. The State Police cruiser with blue lights flashing near the Route 1 SB on ramp to I-95 NB totally confuses people about whether breakdown lane is in use past this point to 109 as apparently it was this morning (at least there were no barrels in this section of the breakdown lane) - at least for a portion of this stretch. That is the point - NO ONE is sure what is allowed or not, and the squeeze down to 3 lanes before 109 backs the entire road all the way back to Braintree. How about a VMS or two? VERY FEW drivers are aware of the staged opening of the lanes, the backup was totally unnecessary this morning and cost drivers hundreds of extra hours of lost time.
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Thanks for the comment. The transition of the roadway from 4 lanes to 3 is supposed to allow traffic in the right most travel lane to enter the breakdown lane immediately at the point where the 4th travel lane begins to taper down to 3 lanes so that there is no pinch point. We are taking steps to have sufficient signage in place to properly alert drivers to this. Police at that location will be discontinued. There will be a message board in place in the area where the 4th lane begins to end that advises drivers that Breakdown travel is allowed. We have done significant public outreach about the area and have message board throughout the corridor…
District highway continues to work on further pavement markings and sign revisions to further address the issue.

It is also typical that changes in road patterns such as this have a break-in period with initials backups as drivers become accustomed to the change.

[Michael Wyatt]

So far the northbound side has been nothing short of disaster with the opening of the lanes. You have a big-time problem in that in the transition between Rte 1 and 109 where the fourth lane ends, traffic is having to merge back to three lanes with travel in the breakdown lane being allowed after the merge has taken place. This morning was 40 minutes getting from Rte 28 to past this split, all because of this self-inflicted choke point. You need to get this transition fixed so that in the morning instead of having to have traffic go down to three lanes and then back to four, the right lane can just move into the breakdown lane (similar to how Rte 3 works before Derby Street). Rte 1-109 has always been bad; the current solution makes it infinitely worse.
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Thanks. Your comments have been forwarded to district Highway for review.