Morton Street Bridge Opens Day Early, MassDOT Says

The new Morton Street Bridge in Mattapan opened more than a full day ahead of schedule this week, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said Tuesday.

The original bridge, which had been deemed structurally deficient, closed on Friday, Aug. 8 for demolition. The new bridge was subsequently installed and opened to traffic nine days later on Sunday, Aug. 17, MassDOT said.

As part of the work, MassDOT crews assembled a “new single span bridge structure” next to the crossing and rolled the new structure into place by using “heavy lift” equipment.

“The innovative ‘heavy lift’ accelerated process is once again a proven success in delivering new infrastructure with only a short-term disruption for motorists and commuters,” MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard Davey said in a statement. “I congratulate the team for completing the work ahead of their aggressive schedule.”

Said Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, “I want to thank MassDOT for their efficient and effective work on the Morton Street Bridge, a critical connector for the Dorchester and Mattapan communities. I’m pleased the project was done ahead of schedule, limiting the time drivers and the surrounding community were inconvenienced, and getting this necessary infrastructure work done.”

For more information on the project, head over to MassDOT >>