Rockland Street Bridge Closed Permanently to Make Way for Reconstruction

Rockland Street Bridge closed permanently on Friday. How will it affect your commute?

The Wellesley Police Department sent a reminder to the public Thursday announcing that the Rockland Street Bridge will permanently close. Wellesley Patch has covered this bridge closing on many occasions, primarily because we feel it will create a huge traffic impact to an already traffic-heavy town. Town officials agree. But is it possible this the blockage of this link from Washington Street to Linden Street will not have as negative an impact as originally thought? The bridge is ailing and in desperate need of rebuilding, and the Police Department said in today’s alert: “Traffic lights in the area will be changed to reflect the new traffic pattern and will be monitored by the Wellesley Police Department.” What’s your opinion? How will …

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Rockland Street Bridge Closes Friday

This marks the second time the start date of the MassDOT project has been pushed back.

According to Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the Rockland Street Bridge will close for demolition and re-construction Friday Jan. 27, marking the second time the construction start date has been pushed back this month. The original bridge closing date was Jan. 6. It was then pushed back to Jan. 13. MassDOT spokesman Michael Verseckes said the second pushback was in part due to a problem with some of the utilities. MassDOT also wanted to make sure relevant town bodies had ample time to prepare for the closing. “I think our wires got crossed with some of the folks in town,” he said. “We just wanted to make sure every body had enough notice and there wasn’t a surprise bridge closing.” Verseckes said he does not anticipate further …

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Mom's Moment

With a Key Bridge Down, Will Traffic Be Up?

Columnist Deb Robi writes about the upsides and downsides of the Rockland Street Bridge closure.

Thank you, MassDOT for giving us plenty of warning as you work to replace the Rockland Street Bridge. Thanks for pushing back the date of closure, too. I need time to ponder how my driving around town will be impacted. I often cross the bridge half a dozen times in a day. That means, I'm either not planning trips around town very well, I have too many children with too many activities, or I keep forgetting an errand in either Wellesley or Linden Squares! Thanks too, for the very attractive footbridge that I know will come in handy for commuters who require daily train station access, bikers, who are doing us all a favor by staying out of their cars, and for students walking to and from school. Thanks for giving residents two extra weeks to…

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today: Jan. 9

Your daily roundup of news and events.

The Board of Selectmen will meet tonight at 7 at Town Hall. …Representatives from Wellesley’s legislative delegation will attend the meeting to offer the state of the town as it enters budget season. This weekend was markedly warm, especially Saturday. Today’s high temperature will be 39 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will close the Rockland Street Bridge this Friday. They’ll demolish the bridge next week. The Wellesley Police Department says the Rockland Street Bridge closure will cause heavier traffic during drop off/pickup hours. What do you think? Do you have any alternate route suggestions for people unfamiliar to Wellesley who may be passing through?

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

A walking bridge will be provided for pedestrians, however.

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 …

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