Rockland Street Bridge to Be Permanently Closed, Demolished Beginning Jan. 13

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will officially begin its work on the crumbling Rockland Street Bridge beginning Jan. 13, according to a Wellesley Police alert.

The bridge will be demolished throughout the week of Jan. 15, and construction of a new bridge will begin immediately. Once closed, motorists will have to use Kingsbury Street as an alternative route, the alert says.

MassDOT originally scheduled to close the bridge tomorrow, but pushed the closure back a week, according to a recent alert.

Here’s a portion of an earlier alert:

Motorists should expect increased traffic in the area of Washington Street at State Street, and Kingsbury Street at Linden Street both in the morning and the evening commutes. There will most likely be increased traffic during the Wellesley Middle and High School dismissal times as well.

Pedestrians will be able to use a temporary bridge to cross over the railroad tracks at Rockland Street during the construction.

MassDOT has announced that the bridge reconstruction project should be completed by September of 2012. If there are any changes to the bridge closing, the Wellesley Police Department will post an update on our website at www.WellesleyPolice.com.