New I-495 bridge construction in Haverhill calls for closing exit 49—Westgate—overnight Monday.
The ramp closure allows for roadway widening, placing a concrete deck on additional lanes of the new northbound bridge over the Merrimack River, conducting barrier work and driving concrete trucks to the pump and wash out areas. Traffic will be detoured at exit 50—Route 97.
As part of this work, lanes will be closed in each direction daytimes. A single southbound left lane closes between exits 49 and 50 Tuesday, Aug. 4, through Thursday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m., to 2 p.m. Nightly, double right lane closures take place northbound between exits 49 and 50 Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 9 p.m., to 5 a.m., the following mornings.
The $102 million project aims 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 federal government is paying 80% of the project cost with the state pay the remaining 20%.