Road Work On Mass Ave. In Lexington Causing Traffic Delays, Headaches

LEXINGTON, MA -- School busses were running late and traffic was backed up nearly two miles as repaving work began on Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington. By 7 a.m. Tuesday, Lexington Public Schools had reports from one of its buses that traffic on Marrett Road was backed up from Massachuetts Avenue to a Cumberland Farm Store at 324 Marrett Road -- a distance of 1.8 miles.

Bus 20 reports Marrett Rd is backed up from Mass Ave to Cumberland Farms.
— Lexington MA Public (@LPSBusUpdates) October 10, 2017

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Most buses shuttling students to Lexington High School were running 15-20 minutes late or longer. Crews are paving and milling the southbound side of Massachusetts Avenue from Marrett Road to Follen Road in Lexington next week. Work will run from 7 am to 5 pm throughout the week. The town expects the work to be completed by Friday, October 13.

Drivers are being detoured onto Marrett Road and then making a left onto Follen Road, where they will reconnect with Mass Ave near Pleasant Street. The town is asking drivers to use caution and to allow extra time when traveling through the area throughout the week of construction.

But that advance notice and that call for patience may have done little to soothe drivers who were stuck in long lines of traffic on the first day back to work for many after a holiday weekend. In at least one case, a bus for elementary school children couldn;t complete its route, forcing Lexington Public Schools to dispatch another bus.

Bus 13 is running 15 minutes late. Bus 23 can't get to its elementary route so another bus has been sent.
— Lexington MA Public (@LPSBusUpdates) October 10, 2017

Photo by Town of Lexington.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).