STATE OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED on Monday that they plan to replace the structurally deficient Commonwealth Avenue bridge in two phases this summer and next summer, causing disruptions to local car and MBTA travel as well as Turnpike, commuter rail , and Amtrak service.
The first construction phase focused on half the bridge will run from July 26 through Aug. 14. All vehicle travel except for buses will be halted on Commonwealth Avenue and on the BU Bridge during that period. MBTA B Line service will be closed from Blandford Street to Babcock Street and be replaced by shuttle bus service.
The Turnpike runs beneath the bridge and during construction the number of lanes will be reduced from four each way to two each way. Commuter rail and Amtrak service, which runs adjacent to the Turnpike, will be closed for two weekends.
Thomas Tinlin, the state highway administrator, said the bridge is 52 years old, its concrete is compromised, and its steel beams are corroded. He said its substructure was rehabbed between 2014 and 2016 so it remains safe to use.
Tinlin said the timetable of the accelerated construction project was selected because traffic is typically down at that time and college students haven’t begun to arrive on campus yet. During Red Sox games, service on the D and C Lines of the Green Line will be expanded and shuttle buses serving commuter rail will operate from Yawkey Way to Boston Landing.
During construction, Commonwealth Avenue will be closed to private vehicles but will be open to pedestrians and bicyclists. “If you had the ability to walk or bike to work, this would be a good time to do it,” Tinlin said.
The state’s website on the construction project can be found here.
