It's Here, And It's Bad: Comm Ave Bridge Construction Project

BOSTON, MA — Transportation officials are warning people - especially commuters - to expect major delays in Boston as Round 2 of the Comm Ave. Bridge Constriction and Replacement Project. If you can't work from home you may need to factor in an extra hour and a half for your commute. As the signs along the Pike say: "It's coming, and it's bad."

Starting the evening of July 26 until Aug. 11, the project will gnarl traffic on roads and impact public transit. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation is telling commuters who take the B Green Line, the Pike under Comm Ave, or usually take Comm Ave. between Packard's Corner to Fenway to study up on the many detours.

"If it's possible, stay away," officials told reporters.

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What You're In For:

Comm. Ave. and BU bridges: will be closed to car traffic from 7 p.m. on July 26 and won't reopen until 5 a.m. on Aug. 11. *Pedestrians and cyclists will still have access.

Commonwealth Ave.: Will be closed to through traffic from Packard's Corner to Kenmore Square. (Follow the red and blue lines below for detours around the area):

I-90 between the Beacon Street overpass and the Allston-Brighton interchange: Will have no more than two lanes open in each direction during peak hours from July 26 to Aug. 6. And there are several on and off ramps that will be closed.

The I-90 eastbound on-ramp from Cambridge Street/Soldiers Field Road will be closed. The I-90 westbound Exit 20 off-ramp to Brighton/Cambridge will be closed intermittently.

Memorial Drive: Will be open to traffic on Sunday, July 29 and Sunday, August 5 (as opposed to closing as they normally do in the summer for pedestrians, bikers etc).

Shuttles will replace Commuter Rail service at some MBTA stops, the Framingham/Worcester Commuter Rail line, and Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited route July 28 and 29 and Aug. 4 and 5, according to MassDOT. The shuttle buses will be free and replace train service between Framingham and Wellesley Farms. After Wellesley Farms, the shuttle bus will then continue nonstop to Riverside, where riders can connect to the Green D Line.

Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited-Chicago line will also see impacts those two weekends. A shuttle bus service from Albany, New York, to Boston, with stops in Springfield and Worcester, will be offered instead, according to MassDOT.

Read more: Comm Ave Bridge Replacement Project: And How It Could Impact Your Commute

Remind me what's going on:

The almost 16-day project is slated to last until Aug. 11., according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. This is part of the $110 million bridge replacement project that promises to add additional bike lanes and pedestrian improvements on the Comm Ave. bridge. It isn't slated to be finished until next year.

The good news is that pedestrians and bicyclists will have full access across the Comm. Ave. Bridge on the eastbound side throughout construction.

And there's at least this>>Blue Bikes Offering $1 Single Fare Trips: Why? Comm Ave Project

Three 600-ton cranes will be used to move 45 steel beams into place and lay 215 pre-fabricated bridge deck panels, according to MassDOT. Crews will spread 680 cubic yards of concrete and 520 tons of asphalt to complete the second half of the bridge.

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Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).

Photo courtesy MassDot from the 2017 construction.