Detours for Motor Vehicles, Pedestrians, and Bicycles in effect this weekend in East Cambridge

GLX announced today it will begin a series of major crane lifts this weekend at the new Lechmere Viaduct now under construction between the Gilmore Bridge and Lechmere Station along Monsignor O’Brien Highway. The work is in support of the Green Line Extension (GLX) project. Setup operations will begin around 9 p.m. on Friday, July 10, and traffic detours will be in place by the early morning hours of Saturday, July 11. Construction activities such as crane work are scheduled from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Traffic detours for motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists traveling through the area along Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be in place throughout the weekend. The purpose of the construction work is to place a series of prefabricated concrete pier caps atop the support columns for the new Lechmere viaduct. This construction method was chosen over casting the structures in place to save time on the project which is on schedule for completion in December of 2021. The GLX project will extend Green Line service from the new Lechmere Station along two new branches to Union Square in Somerville and to College Avenue/Tufts University in Medford.

Delivery of the pre-cast materials and preparations for the series crane lifts will take place between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Anticipated noise levels during the overnight periods are expected to be light to moderate. The materials will be set in place from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.


Weekend Detour Routes: July 10-12:

Before dawn on Saturday, Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be closed to outbound traffic from East Street to the Gilmore Bridge/Charlestown Avenue in East Cambridge and inbound from Third Street to Cambridge Street.

During this phase, all motor vehicles traveling outbound (northwest) on Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be directed to bear left on Edwin H. Land Boulevard, make a right on Binney Street, turn right on Third Street, and proceed to Monsignor O’Brien Highway.

All motor vehicles traveling inbound (southwest) on Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be directed to make a right on Third Street, turn left on Cambridge Street, and proceed to Monsignor O’Brien Highway.

Trucks traveling outbound (northwest) will be directed to make a right at the Gilmore Bridge, turn left on Rutherford Avenue, turn right on Washington Street at the Sullivan Square Rotary, and proceed to McGrath Highway.

Trucks traveling inbound on McGrath Highway will be directed to make a left on Washington Street, turn right on Rutherford Avenue at the Sullivan Square Rotary, turn right at the Gilmore Bridge, and proceed to Monsignor O’Brien Highway.

Pedestrians traveling outbound (northwest) on Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be directed to cross over to the south sidewalk and continue on Monsignor O’Brien Highway, bear left on Cambridge Street, turn right on Second Street, turn right on Gore Street, and proceed to Monsignor O’Brien Highway.

Pedestrians traveling inbound (southeast) on Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be directed to turn right on Gore Street, turn left on Cambridge Street, and proceed to Monsignor O’Brien Highway.

Bicycles traveling outbound (northwest) on Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be directed to turn left on Edwin H. Land Boulevard, turn right on Rogers Street, turn right on First Street, turn left on Cambridge Street, turn right on Third Street, and proceed to Monsignor O’Brien Highway.

Bicycles traveling inbound (southeast) on Monsignor O’Brien Highway will be directed to turn right on Third Street, turn left on Cambridge Street, and proceed to Monsignor O’Brien Highway.

For more detailed information on please visit Mass.gov/GLX or email us at info@glxinfo.com.

For urgent matters, please call the GLX Hotline at 855-GLX-INFO (459-4636).