New Date: Closure Of Route 27 Bridge In Wayland

WAYLAND, MA — Emergency repair work on a Route 27 bridge in Wayland with "serious deficiencies" will be pushed back by two days, town officials said on Monday.

The first phase of work to repair the bridge over the Sudbury River just west of the Wayland Country Club will begin Aug. 21, the Wayland Department of Public Works said in an update on Monday.

The full closure will allow crews to pour a new concrete surface on the bridge deck and will last until Sept. 16 — three days shorter than initially planned.

Traffic will detour around the area using Route 20, according to Wayland officials.

"The bridge, which is nearing 75 years old, was recently identified as having serious deficiencies and needing considerable rehabilitation to ensure that existing traffic can safely cross the bridge," the Wayland Department of Public Works said Friday. "The town is undertaking a project to quickly restore the bridge to good condition and extend its life."

A second phase will happen at a later date that hasn't been set yet, but will likely be in October and November. During that phase, crews will reconstruct the underside of the bridge, including the wooden supports.

The second phase will require lane closures, but a full bridge closure will be much shorter than in the first phase, according to the DPW.