Update on MassPike bridge replacement project (Updated)

Above: Three Southborough bridges and another in Westborough are scheduled to be replaced next summer. (images cropped from Google Maps)

In February, I shared news on the state’s plans to replace four MassPike bridges in/bordering Southborough. This month, I got an update on the project. While the heavy lifting on the project will take place (quickly) next summer, some work has already started.

If it runs as scheduled, replacements would take place in summer 2021 over 8 weekends. That’s one for each of the “eight spans” of MassPike overpasses. MassDOT Project 608335 sites are Cordaville Road, Parkerville Road, Woodland Road, Flanders Road. (Click thumbnails to enlarge images.)

A MassDOT employee who lives in town informed me that the project is similar work to what was done on the Fast-14 project on I-93 a few years ago. Work will entail closing down sections of I-90 on the scheduled weekends, “along with the local roadways in Southborough that cross under the bridges being worked on.”

Leading up to that:

work will start prior to that on the bridge carrying I-90 over Rt 85, with work on Rt 85, to prepare for the summer work. There will also be work at the Woodland street bridge, Parkerville Rd bridge and Flanders Rd bridge – to repair the concrete portions that will remain. This will impact the local roads.

The first activities that will occur though may have a more acute affect on some homeowners that live near I-90. There are activities that will likely occur at night, to clear trees around the bridges, remove some invasive species of plants, set out erosion controls and signs, and prepare for the traffic shifts. For houses close to the roadway, this could be disruptive.

I asked when that prep work would begin and learned that work to utility relocations that go through the bridges had already has.

The contractor has a provision in the contract conduct outreach to people that may be affected. So, expect to hear more on the project in the future.

Updated (11/17/20 1:10 pm): Yesterday, an outreach coordinator for the contractor emailed:

The contractor anticipates starting utility work on Flanders in December and then work in the I-90 right-of-way in January. We’ll be sending an advisory when that’s confirmed.