mass pike

Accelerated Work Starts on Mass. Pike Bridges

The bridges are being replaced due to structural deficiencies

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NBC10

An effort by the state Department of Transportation to replace or repair eight bridges on the Massachusetts Turnpike this summer with minimal disruption to weekday commuters is underway.

Workers completed the Interstate 90 westbound bridge over Woodland Road in Southborough on Monday morning, officials told The Boston Globe.

Work on what's known as the "Acceler-8'' project on the highway's Boston/Worcester corridor will take place over eight weekends, the agency said in a statement. Work is expected to conclude Aug. 16, with a construction break over the Fourth of July weekend.

The other bridges that will be fixed are those over Cordaville, Flanders and Parkerville roads.

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Weekday drivers should not be disrupted, Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said.

"If we do it right ... you won't notice anything,'' he said.

Weekend drivers likely will experience backups, Gulliver said.

The bridges are being replaced due to what Gulliver described as structural deficiencies.

"We have to do a fair amount of maintenance on them to keep them in a safe operating condition,'' he said.

The short bridges lend themselves to a rapid replacement using prefabricated bridge units, he said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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