I-495 Bridge Construction Update: State Plans Daytime Lane Closures in Haverhill

Earlier I-495 construction looking south to Ward Hill. (Courtesy photograph.)

Various lanes of I-495 in Haverhill close next week as work continues on the $102 million bridge replacement project.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation says the right lane closes between exits 48 and 49, Monday and Tuesday, June 29 and 30, from 6 a.m.-2 p.m., each day. The state will also close a single left lane on I-495 south, between exits 49 and 50 and exit 48, from Monday, June 29, through Thursday, July 2, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., each day.

Officials say travel lane closures are necessary for pier protection barrier work. Schedules are weather dependent and subject to change without notice.

To date, three lanes of a new northbound bridge have been completed and are carrying traffic. The new bridges are designed to last 75 years as opposed to the existing bridges built less than 60 years ago. Officials say the goals are to eliminate “constant emergency repair work,” improve roadway safety with full-width breakdown lanes and provide a dedicated exit lane on the northbound bridge for exit 49, near Westgate Center.

The old, twin bridges are 712 feet long with four piers per bridge in the Merrimack River. The new bridges use two piers each. The federal government is paying 80% of the project cost with the state pay the remaining 20%.

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