Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation

I-95 Foxborough: Upcoming Weekend Lane Restrictions

MassDOT alerts motorists of upcoming weekend work on Interstate 95 Southbound in Foxborough and to expect possible traffic delays due to lane restrictions.

The bridge deck surface replacement project on I-95 Southbound over Green Street (Route 106) will require lane restrictions beginning on Friday, May 17, 8:00pm, through Monday, May 20, 5:00am, weather permitting. 

Similar lane restrictions will also be in place Friday, June 7 through Monday, June 10.

Lane Restrictions on I-95 Southbound, Friday, May 17, 8:00 PM through Monday, May 20, 5:00 AM

Friday 8:00PM – Traffic will be restricted from three lanes to two lanes on the Southbound roadway to perform pavement marking and install temporary concrete barriers to allow for the two high speed lanes of the bridge deck to allow deck surface replacement.

Friday 8:00PM – Two available alternate routes will be announced using Message Boards and signs at I-95 Southbound Route 1 and Southbound Route 140.  The alternate routes are Route 1 South @ Exit 9 to I-495 South back to I-95 or Route 140 South Exit 7A to I-495 North back to I-95.

Bridge Deck Work will continue 24 hours a day over the weekend into Monday morning or until the work is finished. To allow certain construction operations, traffic will be restricted to one lane late at night.

Monday 5:00AM – Traffic will be restored to three lanes Southbound for the Monday morning commute.

Friday June 7th thru Monday June 10th – Weather permitting, the same sequence will be performed to complete the remainder of the Southbound work.

Bay State Bike Week: May 11-19

The Patrick-Murray Administration encourages residents to join their neighbors and colleagues to bicycle during Bay State Bike Week, May 11-19, 2013, which celebrates bicycle transportation. Bicycling organizations, neighborhood groups and local governments have planned hundreds of diverse community-based events across the Commonwealth to show that bicycling can be a fun, healthy, safe and sustainable travel choice. 

“I applaud the bicyclists who ride to school or work regularly, and I encourage more people to give it a try,” said Governor Deval Patrick. "Together, we can make Massachusetts a greener, healthier and more sustainable state by decreasing traffic congestion, cleaning the air and enabling people to get some exercise in the course of their busy daily lives.”

Massachusetts in 2013 has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as the 6th most “bicycle friendly” state. In addition, MassDOT remains the only state DOT in the nation to actively organize and lead a statewide Bike Week celebration. MassDOT partners with the statewide bicycle education and advocacy group MassBike, as well as MassRIDES, the Commonwealth’s statewide travel options program.

MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard Davey says “Bay State Bike Week is a great way for MassDOT and MassBike to kick off the springtime riding season, and encourage some new riders to give biking a try. And we deeply appreciate the work that each event organizer and community does to host events throughout the Commonwealth.”

In addition to community-wide events, the 11 Massachusetts Transportation Management Associations are presenting the 18th annual MassCommute Bicycle Challenge, a friendly competition among employers, schools and communities to see who can log the most miles by bicycle.

To learn more about Bay State Bike Week and for information about current bicycling projects in your area visit www.mass.gov/massdot/bike.

Draft Recommendations for the Route 28 Corridor

Posted by Ethan Britland, Project Manager

Please join us for a Public Information Meeting on the Grounding McGrath: Determining the Future of the Route 28 Corridor Study:

Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Albert F. Argenziano School, 290 Washington Street, Somerville

MassDOT will present draft recommendations from the study, answer questions and welcome comments.

The recommendations are the culmination of a multi-year collaborative planning effort between MassDOT and community stakeholders to determine the future of the Route 28 Corridor. McGrath Highway (Route 28 from Mystic Avenue/I-93 to the Cambridge boundary) is a relic of another time, when 1950’s auto-dominated transportation began to shape our communities.

The Grounding McGrath study has been evaluating the long-term needs of the Route 28 corridor. And significant planning is already underway for economic development in the area adjacent to the corridor, including the MBTA Green Line Extension to Somerville and Medford; the Community Path; the NorthPoint development in Cambridge; and the City of Somerville's planning efforts in Inner Belt, Brickbottom and Union Square.  As growth continues, the corridor will play a pivotal role in providing multimodal access for these areas and neighborhoods. 

The McCarthy Overpass, the elevated structure that carries Route 28 over Washington Street in Somerville, is currently in need of substantial repairs.

The Grounding McGrath study is also being supported by the work of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's Health Impact Assessment Study. This collaborative effort between MassDOT and Public Health is a key outcome of the 2009 transportation reform law and establishment of the Healthy Transportation Compact. 

Learn more by visiting the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website.

This is a vital area in the region - robust with economic growth and development and home to a vibrant group of stakeholders. I hope you can join our effort to improve the corridor!

 

Green Line Extension Construction, Public Meeting

The Green Line Extension Project Phase I work is underway, including utility work and excavation support work, left, northeast of Harvard Street Bridge in Medford.

The Green Line Extension Project Design Working Group is holding a Public Open House:

Thursday, May 9, 5:00pm - 7:00pm, GLX Project Office, 100 Summer Street, 2nd Floor, Boston

The Green Line Extension project is an initiative of MassDOT and the MBTA.  This important project will extend existing MBTA Green Line service from a relocated Lechmere Station in East Cambridge to Union Square in Somerville and College Avenue in Medford.

Phase 1 work includes the following:

    * Reconstruct and widen the Harvard Street Rail Bridge in Medford
    * Widen the Medford Street Rail Bridge in Somerville
    * Demolish 21 Water Street in Cambridge for construction of the new Lechmere Station in Phase 2/2A
    * Construct retaining walls and noise walls adjacent to the Harvard Street Rail Bridge
    * Relocate MBTA Commuter Rail tracks in the Harvard Street Rail Bridge area
    * Upgrade and replace existing storm drain system between Harvard Street and Granville Avenue

The Phase 1 project completion is scheduled for March, 2015.

South Station Expansion Environmental Review Advances

Posted by Kate Fichter, South Station Expansion Project Manager

Many thanks to everyone who reviewed and commented upon the Environmental Notification Form (ENF) for the South Station Expansion project. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs received 32 comment letters on the ENF, and we are grateful for all of the ideas and input.

Energy & Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., issued a Certificate on the ENF on April 19. You can now read the Certificate on the project website.

The Certificate outlines the elements and goals of the project; the history of previous filings related to South Station; and the scope of work for the Draft Environmental Impact Report that MassDOT will prepare over the next year. Some of the topics for the Draft Environmental Impact Report include land impacts; wetlands, waterways, and tidelands; stormwater; water supply and wastewater; traffic and transportation; air quality and greenhouse gas emissions; historic resources; mitigation; and more.

You can continue to follow the progress of the South Station Expansion project by requesting a project update for your group or agency, checking the project website, and printing the fact sheet.

North Bank Bridge Honored for Engineering Excellence

The North Bank Bridge and Park project in Boston/Cambridge has received an Honor Award in the 2013 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence national competition.

The $26 million North Bank Bridge and Park project funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and completed in spring 2012 provides pedestrians with a safe, accessible and quick route between Cambridge and Charlestown.

The pedestrian bridge is open to biking and rollerblading, in addition to walking or running, giving the public greater access to the parks.

The 690-foot bridge curves under the Zakim Bridge and over the MBTA railway.  The steelwork is metalized rather than painted to minimize maintenance. Energy-efficient LED light strips are installed in the bridge’s railings for aesthetics and public safety.

The ACEC award citation says "a former brownfield site has been transformed into a breathtaking new park along the Charles River Basin."

The firm Greenman-Pederson, Carol R. Johnson Associates, Stantec, and Ammann & Whitney of Wilmington, Massachusetts received the award for the North Bank project.

ACEC's annual Engineering Excellence Awards honor a total of 24 winners nationally as the year's most outstanding engineering accomplishments in transportation and 11 other categories.  The winners are chosen by a distinguished panel representing industry, government, academia and media based on uniqueness, innovation, future value to the engineering profession, and being on schedule and budget.

Worcester: Burns Bridge Construction Traffic Update

The Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge replacement project continues to move forward in spring 2013.  Roadway construction related to the project will result in some changes for motorists on North Lake Avenue and Belmont Street (Route 9) in Worcester beginning Monday, May 6.

Reconstruction of North Lake Avenue will begin between Belmont Street (Route 9) and South Road.  The first phase of work will address the southbound lanes.   During this period all traffic will be shifted to the northbound lanes, creating two-way traffic. This phase of the project is expected to last approximately eight weeks.  During this phase, the existing U-Turn for motorists seeking to go south on Lake Avenue will be closed.  Motorists going south should proceed to the next U-Turn approximately 1,000 feet farther north.

During North Lake Avenue work, access will be maintained to UMass Medical Center, the National Guard facility and the Shaw Building.  The DCR main entrance at Regatta Point will remain open during all work. 

Work on Belmont Street between Lake Avenue and Alvarado Avenue will also move to major reconstruction.  This work will be completed with traffic shifted around the work zone as needed.  Shifts will take place during off-peak hours to minimize disruptions to traffic.  Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction.

The Burns Memorial Bridge project is funded as part of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s historic Accelerated Bridge Program to repair or replace structurally deficient bridges throughout the Commonwealth.  To learn more visit the project website: www.mass.gov/massdot/kenburnsbridge.

Patrick-Murray Administration Boosts Freight Rail Projects

Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray today joined MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard Davey and local officials in New Bedford to announce this year’s Industrial Rail Access Program (IRAP) recipients.

“As part of the Massachusetts State Rail Plan, we are focused on increasing access for freight rail service to support regional economic growth,” said Lieutenant Governor Murray.  “By investing in these projects, we are upgrading the Commonwealth’s freight rail network which will not only attract new business and jobs, but also promote a more efficient transportation of goods and services.”

“Our team has closely vetted the recipient proposals to assure conformity with local and regional transportation plans as well as economic development initiatives,” said Secretary Davey. “We will monitor closely the completion and success of these projects.”

The MassDOT Industrial Rail Access Program created through the 2012 Transportation Bond Bill provides grants to railroads, rail shippers and municipalities who identify a public benefit gained through improved use of the rail transportation network or that will facilitate economic growth through access to rail assets within the Commonwealth.

The nine IRAP recipients will receive a total of $2.85 million with matching funds covered by each applicant.  The list of recipients is available after the break.

Opening Celebrated for Boston South End Park Near I-90

MassDOT Secretary Richard A. Davey joined business and community leaders for today's official opening of Frieda Garcia Park adjacent to I-90 on Clarendon Street in Boston's South End.  The park is named for long-time South End community leader Frieda Garcia.

As part of the project, John Hancock Financial donated the land valued at $5.5 million to the City of Boston, paid for the construction of the Park, and helped establish The Friends of Frieda Garcia Park fund to cover future maintenance.

“As we celebrate the opening of this park not far from the Turnpike, I am reminded of the value of public, private and neighborhood collaboration,” said MassDOT Secretary Davey. “Congratulations to the neighborhood and all the stakeholders on the creation of this new community space that will serve as a vibrant tribute to Frieda Garcia for years to come.”

Frieda Garcia Park offers play structures for younger children, landscaping including shade trees and shrubs, and perimeter seating facing Stanhope Street for neighborhood residents.  An enclosure on the back of the park that separates the area from I-90 incorporates a colorful glazed masonry wall with two mosaic tile sculptures 30 feet long by eight feet high.

The Park's design process by John Hancock and coordinated with MassDOT involved community meetings and review by Boston Parks and Recreation, Boston Public Works, Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Boston Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and the Boston Redevelopment Authority.

MBTA Debuts 3 New Commuter Rail Coaches

The MBTA this week put into service the first three new commuter rail coaches from Hyundai-Rotem USA.

The first trips for the 3 new coaches carried passengers on Train No. 213 from North Station to Haverhill Wednesday morning.  The new coaches will continue to operate on the North Side of the commuter rail system in the weeks head.  It is expected that an additional 15 new coaches will be in service throughout the system by the fall of 2013.

“We are constantly working to bring our customers a better experience,” said MBTA General Manager Dr. Beverly Scott. “These new coaches will do just that; with a cleaner, more informed and more comfortable trip for all on board.”

These are the first three of 75 total ordered from Hyundai-Rotem USA, at a cost of $190 million.

The new bi-level coaches feature 55% more seating than single-level coaches; onboard LED displays showing next station information and announcements; larger, accessible restrooms; designated seating for passengers with disabilities; specially designed air-conditioning systems providing comfortable cool air with increased filtration and airflow; and new microprocessor systems controlling air conditioning, doors, communications, brakes and signals.

Visit mbta.com to purchase commuter rail tickets.