Red Line Weekend Diversions and Longfellow Bridge Closures Beginning Jan. 8

CONTACT:
MassDOT Press Office: 857-368-8500

MassDOT's contractor, White-Skanska-Consigli JV (WSC), will implement a series of bridge closures and Red Line weekend diversions during January 2016. WSC will close the Longfellow Bridge to all vehicular traffic, except MBTA buses, from 11:00 PM on Fridays to 5:00 AM on Mondays. The closures are necessary to implement MBTA Red Line diversions that replace trains with buses. This will allow WSC to perform work in close proximity to the Red Line tracks to prepare for Stage 3 of construction. The schedule is as follows:

Longfellow Bridge Closures:

• Friday, January 8 – Monday, January 11
• Friday, January 15 – Monday, January 18
• Friday, January 22 – Monday, January 25
• Friday, January 29 – Monday, February 1

Red Line Weekend Diversions:

• Saturday, January 9 – Sunday, January 10
• Saturday, January 16 – Sunday, January 17
• Saturday, January 23 – Sunday, January 24

Bus service will be in place from the start of service on Saturdays to the end of service on Sundays. Buses will replace Red Line trains in both directions for service between Kendall/MIT Station and Park Street Station, with a stop at Charles/MGH Station. The bus route and stops are shown on this map. All shuttle bus stops are accessible for people with disabilities. Red Line trains will resume service on Monday mornings. Please visit the MBTA's service updates webpage for additional information.

On Saturday, January 9, from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, the sidewalk along Memorial Drive westbound in the vicinity of the Longfellow Bridge will be closed to pedestrian traffic. Pedestrians should use designated crosswalks to reach the sidewalk along Memorial Drive eastbound to travel under the Longfellow Bridge. The stairway from the bridge to Memorial Drive will also be closed. For access between the Longfellow Bridge/Main Street and Memorial Drive, pedestrians should use the sidewalk along the Main Street ramp from Land Blvd. Signs will be in place indicating pedestrian detour routes.

MBTA buses will be the only motor vehicles permitted on the bridge. All other motor vehicles, including passenger vehicles, trucks, and all other buses, will need to use one of two Boston-bound routes to reach Charles River Dam Road (Monsignor O'Brien Highway/Route 28) and Leverett Circle.

Inbound Detour Routes: Height restrictions are in place for Memorial Drive, so all buses and trucks must use the 3rd Street to Binney Street detour described below.

• From Main Street, turn right onto Memorial Drive westbound, and make a U-turn at Ames Street to access Memorial Drive eastbound. Follow Memorial Drive eastbound to Land Boulevard and turn right onto Charles River Dam Road (Monsignor O'Brien Highway/Route 28) to reach Leverett Circle.
• From Broadway, turn left onto 3rd Street, turn right on Binney Street, turn left onto Land Boulevard, and then turn right onto Charles River Dam Road (Monsignor O'Brien Highway/Route 28) to reach Leverett Circle.

Emergency response, bicycle, and pedestrian access will be maintained across the bridge during weekend diversions. Cyclists must walk their bikes on the sidewalk across the Longfellow Bridge in both directions to ensure the safety of all bridge users. Inbound and outbound bike lanes will be closed during this time to ensure cyclist safety. The Massachusetts Avenue Bridge and Dr. Paul Dudley White Bike Path across the Craigie Dam Bridge can be used as alternate routes to ride bicycles across the Charles River.

The Cambridge-bound detour remains in place using a signed route from Charles Circle following Charles Street to Leverett Circle, Monsignor O'Brien Highway/Charles River Dam Road, and Edwin H. Land Boulevard.

For more information on the project, visit the website at www.mass.gov/massdot/longfellowbridge. View construction progress photos on MassDOT's Longfellow Bridge Flickr Album. For questions or to report issues related to construction, please call the project hotline at 617-519-9892 or email longfellowbridge@state.ma.us.

MassDOT encourages drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes to minimize delays. Those traveling through the area should expect delays and should reduce speed and use caution. The schedule for this major infrastructure project is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.

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Title VI Notice of Nondiscrimination: MassDOT complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related federal and state statutes and regulations. It is the policy of MassDOT to ensure that no person or group of persons shall on the grounds of Title VI protected categories, including race, color, national origin, or under additional federal and state protected categories including sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, creed, ancestry, veteran's status (including Vietnam-era veterans), or background, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity administered by MassDOT. To request additional information about this commitment, or to file a complaint under Title VI or a related nondiscrimination provision, please contact MassDOT's Title VI Specialist by phone at (857) 368-8580, TTY at (857) 368-8580, fax (857) 368-0602 or by e-mail at MASSDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us.

If information is needed in another language, please contact the MassDOT Title VI Specialist by phone at (857) 368-8580.
Caso esta informação seja necessária em outro idioma, favor contar o Especialista em Título VI do MassDOT pelo fone 857-368-8580.
Si necesita información en otro lenguaje, favor contactar al especialista de MassDOT del Título VI al 857-368-8580.
如果需要使用其它语言了解信息，请联系马萨诸塞州交通部（MassDOT）《民权法》第六章专职人员，电话 857-368-8580。
如果需要使用其它語言了解信息，請聯系馬薩諸塞州交通部（MassDOT）《民權法》第六章專職人員，電話 857-368-8580。

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