Commuter Carmageddon hits Boston given Pike construction work

Work underway
A Bedford/Boston Globe photo

– News from elsewhere covered by Quincy Quarry News.  

 

Commuter Carmageddon hits Boston given Massachusetts Turnpike bridge construction work project.

 

Monday the rubber hit the fan when long anticipated, planned and publicized closing of lanes on the Mass Pike commenced to facilitate three weeks of intense work on replacing the Commonwealth Avenue bridge over the MassPike near Boston University.

 

Quincy Quarry News Copter in flight
A file photo

Needless to say, local television news crews were out in force as well as flying their news copters and camera drones in the fair weather air of a delightful end of July day.

 

While Fox 25 focused its coverage on warning commuters of anticipated considerable delays in their commutes, CBS’s WBZ Channel 4, ABC’s WVCB Channel 5 and whatever is its new channel number NBC local affiliate WHDH appear to have drank the Kool Aid by reporting that delays were not quite as bad as Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s worst case scenarios.

 

Another bridge reconstruction project
A RJ LaLonde image

Construction work on the bridge will continue until next year, but the worst disruption for this year is anticipated to be over in three weeks.

 

The stated goal is that by imposing considerable upheaval now during the relative quiet of summer, such will facilitate an overall less disruptive replacement of the old bridge.

 

In turn, how the touted disruption mitigation plan for this MassDOT project actually pans out is an arguable harbinger of things things to come for Quincy commuters.

 

Braced up condemned Quincy Center garage
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

In a few short months, years of major disruptions will commence while local Red Line stations are scheduled to be rebuilt per the MBTA.

 

First up, the Wollaston MBTA station is slated to be closed for roughly twenty months starting this fall for what is (currently, ed.) slated to be a three year reconstruction project.

 

Concurrently, while the MBTA station the long condemned and closed Quincy Center MBTA parking garage is to be partially demolished over roughly the same time frame, although the station itself is only slated for the substitution of bus service during overnight and weekend station closings

 

A City On The Move?
An iconic Quincy Quarry News file photo

Also, the North Quincy MBTA Red Line station is slated for a major and several or so years long makeover currently hoped to commence within a couple of years and then a reconstruction of the Quincy Center MBTA to then perhaps commence a few more years later yet.

 

In other words, Quincy is perhaps facing a local mini Big Dig.

 

But not to worry as, again, the MBTA is in charge of these pending projects.

 

 Read Full Story: Fury road: What you need to know as the Mass. Pike closes lanes today – The Boston Globe

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