As rehab work on the Tobin Bridge moves to a new phase, drivers in Boston will have to deal with the impact.
“I don’t think a lot of people are going to like it because it’s going to be messier than ever,” said Lisa-Jo Yeremian of Lynn. “I just think it’s going to be a lot more problems for people, people are going to lose their patience.”
Lane closures start on Monday, and transportation officials are warning of significant back-ups.
The northbound lanes on the bridge will be the first to be affected. Only two lanes will be open during the day, and only one at night.
“I’m going to put Waze on and listen and follow and try to change my work schedule to get out a little earlier,” said Doris McGoff of Winthrop.
In May, the lane restrictions will expand to the southbound lanes of the bridge and the Chelsea Curves which approach.
“I work on the other side but when I have to go to Boston. It’s such a mess already. It’s just going to create more chaos for all of us,” said Cleona Sylvain of Everett.
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Transportation officials say the bridge is not unsafe, but it is considered structurally deficient.
“I’ve actually had a little bit of fear and stress sitting in traffic over that bridge and these weird thoughts go into your mind and you hear about crazy disasters and stuff,” said Michael Chapman of Chelsea. “We don’t want the bridge to collapse that’s for sure. So whatever they need to do they could do it.”
There are three MBTA bus routes that use the bridge. Transportation officials are recomending that anyone who uses the bridge, whether it's by car or by bus, think about trying to shift over to the trains like the blue line or the commuter rail.
To learn more about alternate routes, visit the MBTA website at www.mbta.com.
