Gas Work Delaying Rockland Street Bridge Opening

Your car will have to stay off the new Rockland Street bridge, but only for a little while longer. 

Wellesley Police told Patch today that the bridge is nearly complete--and expected to finish today--although they do not plan to re-open it until early January. 

According to Lt. Jack Polecki, the delay is to repair the gas main break at the end of August. A worker accidentally damaged the line during construction, which National Grid then capped on both ends, intending to return to fully repair the gas line at a later date. The repairs are necessary to maintain gas pressure along the gas main during the coming winter months.

Rather than open the newly-completed bridge, only to close it again for these repairs, Polecki says the bridge will remain closed until repairs are done. These repairs may begin as soon as tomorrow, Dec. 18.

"Bottom line, it'll take until the first week of January," he said.

The Wellesley Police Department issued a reminder to the public in January announcing that the Rockland Street Bridge will permanently close to road traffic during construction. The bridge was expected to re-open this month, mid-December according to a Board of Selectmen's meeting a few weeks ago. 

MassDot announced in May that . Bridge demolition began in July.

Despite the closure, one motorist still tried to take the pedestrian bridge in late February.