Malden Underpass Work To Bring Traffic Disruptions

The work follows a September incident in which portions of overhead concrete fell from the bridge above Dartmouth Street.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Oct 21, 2026 12:51 PM EDT

MALDEN, MA — Two roadways will experience traffic disruptions next week as crews continue work following an incident involving a local bridge.

Dartmouth Street and Florence Street will be impacted by construction and testing from Monday, Oct. 26, through Wednesday, Oct. 28, according to Malden City Hall. Normal traffic conditions are expected to resume by Thursday, Oct. 29.

Crews will reinstall fencing at the Dartmouth Street underpass beginning Sunday night, Oct. 25, to divert traffic away from the underpass while workers install precautionary netting and conduct testing. Full access is expected to be restored by Wednesday afternoon. On Florence Street, crews will conduct test pits and take pavement cores from travel lanes. Traffic will be reduced to one lane during the work, though the roadway will remain open.

The work follows a September incident in which portions of overhead concrete fell from the bridge above Dartmouth Street onto the roadway and parked vehicles, prompting the closure of the street from Ramsdell Road near the Mountain Avenue end to Garnet Street. No injuries were reported.

Malden police, fire, and city Inspectional Services initially responded to assess the damage and structural condition of the area. Pedestrian traffic was also restricted as a precaution. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and private engineering firm Simpson Gumpertz and Heger later evaluated the structure. Crews marked areas of concrete that raised concerns before removing them as a precaution against additional concrete falling. Engineers with SGH subsequently determined that the underpass could reopen.

The precautionary netting will remain in place until permanent repairs can be completed. The city previously said samples would be taken from the roadway, the upper side of the bridge deck below the roadway, and the underside of the deck for additional testing. The testing will be used by SGH to recommend a course of action to address the deterioration that caused the concrete to fall.

Bid documents will then be prepared for a future construction project, with the city previously identifying the spring construction season as its target for permanent repairs. The work is temperature sensitive, and city leaders said there would likely not be enough time to complete the necessary preparation before colder weather returns.