Commercial Street Bridge Replacement to Take Place September 16-20

Additional bridge work will take place September 20-24.

Commercial Street will be closed during the work.

As part of the MBTA’s Capital Program, the MBTA’s Capital Delivery Bridge & Structures team will perform a complete replacement of the Commercial Street Bridge in Lynn as part of the Commercial Street Bridge Replacement Project from September 16 through September 20.

“Part of the T’s modernization and safety work to replace six bridges on various Commuter Rail lines, the upcoming work taking place on the Commercial Street Bridge will result in a brand new bridge that provides safer, more reliable service to Newburyport/Rockport Line riders,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “We know the traffic impacts and service diversion resulting from the bridge replacement can be a frustration to drivers, riders, and others, and we appreciate the patience of the community while we work to complete this critical project.”

The Commercial Street Bridge carries the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Line over Commercial Street in Lynn between River Works station and Lynn Station. The steel bridge, which was built in 1913, is nearing the end of its useful life and will be replaced to meet the MBTA’s reliability and modernization needs. The new bridge will have a projected service life of 75 years, will reduce future maintenance costs and service impacts, and will provide riders with safer, more resilient, more reliable ride on the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The project is anticipated to be complete this fall 2022.

More Information About the Bridge Move

From 8 PM on Friday, September 16, through 4 AM on Tuesday, September 20, the MBTA’s contractor for the Project will safely remove the existing bridge and move the new bridge superstructure into place.

To accommodate the bridge move, Commercial Street will be closed from 8 PM on Friday, September 16, through 6 AM on Monday, September 19. Variable message boards will be installed to display the most up-to-date information and a detour map can be viewed on the project website.

Immediately following the bridge move, crews will shift to follow-up work at the bridge from 6 AM on Tuesday, September 20, through 6 AM on Saturday, September 24. During this work, Commercial Street will be closed nightly from 8 PM each night to 6 AM the following morning.

This work will be completed during a planned diversion of Newburyport/Rockport Line Commuter Rail service. Information for riders will be available soon on T-Alerts.