Demolition of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge proceeded on Sunday, continuing to impact traffic on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
But the greatest impact could be felt on Monday morning, when drivers hit the roadways for the start of the work week. Transportation officials are advising motorists to be mindful of the continued traffic delays and to make sure they give themselves extra time to get to their destinations.
Crews were working on clearing debris from Amtrak and MBTA Commuter Rail tracks by midnight Sunday. According to Acting Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, both trains are scheduled to be running normal weekday services as of Monday morning. The first train begins running at 4:30 a.m.
On Monday morning, Interstate 90 in the Allston area is anticipated to have two lanes open on both the eastbound and westbound sides for the work week.
"Heavy congestion is expected, meaning commuters should plan ahead and consider alternate forms of transportation, including the MBTA Worcester/Framingham Commuter Rail line if they are traveling from points west into Boston," Gulliver said. "We encourage all travelers to utilize all the available technology tools at their disposable and make the best decision on route, mode, and timing of travel before they head out onto the roadways during our intensive construction work."
Transit shuttles being used as B Line replacements are reportedly going well. A total of three lanes will continue to be open, with two lanes out of the city and one lane in.
Officials are still encouraging people to seek alternate routes and avoid the area altogether if possible.
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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said the bridge project is on schedule.
As of Sunday morning, MassDOT officials said the deck demolition on the eastbound section of the bridge that spans the turnpike was about 45 percent complete. The beam demolition was 34 percent complete on westbound side.
"Our work zone is set up with one lane of travel eastbound on I-90, and two lanes of travel westbound, allowing our crews the necessary room to perform demolition operations on the bridge," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack.
The work is also affecting the BU Bridge, which has been shut down from Packards Corner to Kenmore Square.
People taking public transportation should be aware of changes. Shuttle buses have replaced the Green Line B Branch on a section of Commonwealth Avenue from Babcock Street to Blandford.
Commuter Rail service on the Framingham-Worcester line has been suspended on weekends due to the project between Boston landing and South Station.
