Zakim Bridge To Close For Inspections This Week

SOMERVILLE, MA – The Zakim Bridge will be closed overnight next week for inspections, MassDOT announced Friday. Closures will begin the evening of Monday, Oct. 16 and continue during nightly off-peak hours through the morning of Friday, Oct. 21. Hours of closure are 11:59 p.m.-5 a.m.

The Zakim Bridge carries traffic on I-93 north and south, as well as on Rt. 1 between the North End and Charlestown neighborhoods of Boston.

The following detours will be in effect during the above times:

• I-93 northbound: All traffic detoured off I-93 northbound at Exit 26 (Storrow Drive). Travelers seeking to re-access I-93 northbound or Route 1 northbound can utilize the Leverett Circle.
• I-93 southbound: All traffic detoured off I-93 southbound at Exit 28 (Mystic Avenue) in Somerville. Traffic seeking to re-access I-93 southbound will be detoured through Sullivan Square, across the North Washington Street Bridge, and then to the I-93 southbound on-ramp in the Haymarket area.
• Route 1 northbound: Traffic on local roadways in downtown Boston seeking to access Route 1 northbound can utilize the Leverett Circle.
• Route 1 southbound: All traffic will be detoured off Route 1 southbound and into Charlestown. Travelers seeking to re-access Route 1 southbound or I-93 southbound will be directed across the North Washington Street Bridge and to the I-93 south on-ramp in the Haymarket area.

MassDOT asks drivers to seek alternate routes if possible. Traffic that must travel through the impacted area should expect delays, reduce speed and use caution while traveling along detour routes.

Photo: The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge, part of Big Dig project, appears in front of the Boston skyline in this aerial photograph over Boston, Thursday, May 18, 2006. The bridge provides an entrance to the city over the Charles River via Interstate Route 93 from points north of Boston (AP Photo/Steven Senne)