Two lanes of I-93 south are back open in Medford Thursday morning after crews closed the road overnight to work on a damaged overpass.
The issue has been impacting traffic for days and will continue for the foreseeable future.
Two lanes on 93 SB in Medford are getting by underneath the Roosevelt Circle Overpass. @MassDOT hopes to have all lanes opened at some point today. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/65hEkwmoeS
— Kelly Sullivan (@ksullivannews) July 22, 2021
Crews were hoping to have the necessary repairs completed Wednesday but they needed more time to work on the overpass.
MassDOT’s highway administrator tweeted a picture showing crews working on the Roosevelt Circle overpass. He says they’ve isolated the damaged section of the bridge with temporary shoring and started to cut out the steel and concrete.
@MassDOT crews are making progress removing the damage on the 93S overpass carrying Roosevelt Circle (Rt 28) in Medford. The bridge needs to be braced to avoid further damage from demolition. Travelers should plan on impacts into Thursday. pic.twitter.com/QEwcOHuvJt
— Jonathan Gulliver (@JLGulliver) July 22, 2021
As crews were demolishing parts of the bridge, they discovered additional damage they needed to take care of right away, so MassDOT closed all lanes of I-93 overnight to allow crews to safely remove parts of the bridge without putting drivers in danger.
MassDOT says the company of the overheight truck that struck the bridge Monday will be held legally and financially responsible for damages since the company didn’t have the proper permitting.
MassDOT hopes to have all lanes reopened on I-93 south in Medford at some point Thursday. They also hope to have the bridge reopened.
The work for permanent repairs is expected to take months.
Drivers are urged to use public transportation or use an alternate route to avoid traffic.
Follow Boston 25 traffic reporter Catherine Parrotta on Twitter for updates.
The traffic on 93SB approaching Medford, where the two left lanes are closed this morning @boston25 pic.twitter.com/5QCDWO1SM8
— Catherine Parrotta (@CatherineNews) July 22, 2021
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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