If you travel down Commonwealth Avenue, get ready for a headache starting this summer. But once work is completed, get ready for a better roadway.
A two-mile section of the Boston street will be closed to traffic between July 26 and Aug. 14, to accommodate work on the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, the state Department of Transportation announced Monday.
The road will be closed to private vehicular traffic in both directions, between Kenmore Square and Packard’s Corner.
“Access through this area will be maintained for local businesses and customers, residents, MBTA buses, emergency services, pedestrians and bicyclists during this time,” MassDOT said in a statement. The project will also require the Boston University Bridge to be closed to nonemergency and nontransit vehicles during that time, though it will be open to MBTA buses, emergency services, pedestrians and bicycles.
The project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2019, will replace the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge superstructure, which supports the traffic.
Commonwealth Avenue itself will also be improved, “such as additional dedicated bike lanes and extensive pedestrian pathway improvements,” according to MassDOT.
It will cost $81.8 million to replace the bridge deck, which was built in 1965.
Buses will replace the Green Line B train service for stops between Babcock Street and Blandford Street from July 26 to Aug. 14. Buses 47 and CT2 will detour from their regular routes, which may cause delays during that time period, and those who rely on bus route 57 should expect delays then as well, MassDOT warns.
The Massachusetts Turnpike will also see changes during the project. The Mass Pike will be reduced to two lanes in both directions between the Allston Interchange and the Beacon Street Overpass from June 2 to 4, as well as July 28 to Aug. 2.
MassDOT says that the temporary closures this summer and scheduled for the summer of 2018 will help accelerate the project, which otherwise would take four to five years to complete.
Closures are scheduled over the summer to take advantage of lower traffic volume and MBTA ridership. Officials also aimed to avoid closures during July 4 and college move-in times at the end of August.
Refer to MassDOT for more information on how your commute may be affected this summer because of the bridge replacement project.
State House News Service contributed to this report.
