Updated North Washington Street Bridge Timeline: Project complete March 2025

Work on the North Washington Street Bridge has been halted since September 2021 due to faulty welds which were discovered at that time. MassDOT gave an update to the Residents Association Thursday night. Full coverage at UniversalHub.com.

The new schedule:

• December 2023: some lanes open to vehicles on the new bridge.
• December 2024: fully open to all users.
• March 2025: project complete - two years after the originally scheduled completion date.

Since construction started on the bridge three years ago, crashes between motor vehicles within 100 feet of the intersections on either side of the bridge that required public safety response (that is, crashes that included an injury or fatality) are down 20% compared to the same time period before construction started. But crashes in which a motor vehicle hits a vulnerable road user (pedestrian or cyclist) resulting in injury or death are up 100%.

Open questions:

• When will pedestrians be able to use the bridge without crossing over to the West side of the street and back? Currently, pedestrians need to cross 14 lanes and 200 feet of roadway to cross the bridge.
• When will the pedestrian underpass be rebuilt so that people can access Lovejoy and points beyond including the esplanade without crossing Keany square at grade?
• When will cyclists be able to cross the bridge without being asked to dismount?

Pedestrians must cross 14 lanes of traffic spanning 200 feet of roadway to use the bridge

Cyclists are expected to just... not use the bridge

MassDOT has two informational meetings scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. MassDOT is also scheduled to appear at next Monday's Neighborhood Council meeting.