Long-Term Lane Closures for Bridge Work Stage 1 Begin Jan. 17
Bridge Will Reopen to Four Lanes in 2022
MassDOT’s contractor, Northern Construction, is scheduled to reduce Route 147 over the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge to one lane of travel in each direction on the afternoon of Thursday, January 17. During Bridge Work Stage 1, all vehicular traffic will be shifted to the east side of the bridge while crews demolish and replace the west side. Bridge and road work during winter months will be intermittent, depending on weather conditions. Throughout this stage, there will be ongoing road work on local streets near the bridge. MassDOT will continue to send announcements to this email list and post information to the project website throughout construction.
During Bridge Work Stage 2, scheduled to begin in Fall 2020, traffic will be shifted to the newly constructed west side of the bridge while the east side is demolished and replaced. The bridge will also be open to one lane of travel in each direction during this stage. A left turn lane at each end of the bridge will also be open, which will help improve traffic flow.
MassDOT is scheduled to reopen the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge to its final configuration in Spring of 2022. The new bridge will be widened to include four travel lanes plus a left turn lane for vehicles. The project also includes “Complete Streets” improvements that provide safe and accessible options for all travel modes, including vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
Traffic Mitigation
MassDOT will use a variety of strategies to mitigate traffic during construction:
-The temporary traffic signals at both ends of the bridge will be equipped with vehicle detection to respond to traffic demands and assign green time as efficiently as possible.
-MassDOT will monitor the temporary signals, explore ways to optimize operations and minimize congestion and delays, and coordinate potentially beneficial changes with the municipalities throughout construction.
-The contractor will carry out additional work on nights and weekends to avoid traffic impacts as much as possible, and police details will be provided at critical intersections during peak periods, if needed.
-To accommodate emergency response, the temporary traffic signals at both ends of the bridge will be specially equipped to receive a signal from emergency vehicles as they approach the intersection. This will override the regular signal programming to stop traffic in all directions and give a green light to the approaching emergency vehicle.
-MassDOT will provide warning signs at multiple locations in advance of the Bridge Street Bridge/Front Street railroad crossing from both Agawam and West Springfield.
-In December 2018, MassDOT also widened the Route 5 South off-ramp to Route 57 West to include an additional lane to help accommodate motorists who may use this route as an alternative to the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge during construction. This change was suggested by an attendee of the October 2018 public meeting.
-MassDOT is meeting regularly with representatives from the Big E and will continue close coordination throughout the event.
No detours are required at this time.
For more information about the project, please visit the project website at: www.mass.gov/morgan-sullivan-bridge-replacement-project. Please send any questions or comments to the project team at: MorganSullivanBridge@dot.state.ma.us. For media inquiries, please contact MassDOT Communications Director Jacquelyn Goddard at Jacquelyn.Goddard@dot.state.ma.us.
The schedule for this major infrastructure project is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.