MassDOT is hosting an online public meeting on Nov. 15 at 6pm about the Boden Lane Bridge over the MBTA Railroad in West Natick.
You can register to attend.
The status of the bridge is a frequent subject of discussion in town, with things often starting off something like: “Will the Boden Lane Bridge ever reopen to cars?”
That usually leads to assorted speculation, and then anecdotes about how the closure has been great for some neighborhoods and a pain for others. The soundness of the structure, erected after the vehicular bridge was damaged in 2019 by a work crew, also inspires comments.
The pedestrian bridge made our whirlwind roundup last year of prominent chain-link fences around town.
MassDOT appears to be promising some real answers. “The purpose of this Public Information Meeting is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed Boden Lane Bridge Replacement Project. All views and comments made at the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.”
According to MassDOT, “the proposed project will replace the vehicular bridge over the MBTA Railroad which was taken out of service and removed after being struck in October of 2019. The proposed replacement will include replacement of the bridge abutments and superstructure and will provide one lane of southbound vehicular travel along with a new sidewalk on the west side of Boden Lane and bicycle accommodations serving two directions of bicycle travel. Pedestrian access will be maintained across the Railroad throughout construction.”
The MassDOT website currently lists the project as being in the preliminary design phase, with construction slated to start in 2027. The site lists the estimated total contract cost at $6.8M and estimated total federal participating construction cost at $7.1M.
More info about the meeting, including accessibility accommodations.
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Has a traffic study been carried out to see if this renovation is needed? If the bridge is reopened, it is good that it will have only one lane of south bound traffic which will be used mostly in the early morning. But, the present situation seems to be working out fine. Is this project really necessary?
Good questions worth asking at this forum (if questions will be addressed)