MassDOT/DCR have accelerated schedule for immediate safety improvements

Overnight road closure tonight to allow roadway milling work

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) are reminding members of the public that the schedule for upcoming MassDOT roadway work on William J. Day Boulevard in South Boston has been accelerated so that construction operations will begin on the evening of Monday, August 20, and be completed by the middle of September 2018.

These work operations were expected to begin in spring 2019, but have been accelerated based upon public feedback and input received over the past several weeks. The full scope of upcoming safety improvements includes a reconfiguration of travel lanes to reduce speeds, installing new traffic and pedestrian signals at the intersection of Day Boulevard and L Street, and improving bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

In order to accommodate the start of construction operations such as roadway milling, Day Boulevard will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 8 p.m., Monday, August 20, through 5 a.m., Tuesday, August 21.  An overnight parking ban will be in effect during work hours. Traffic patterns will be clearly marked, and a police detail will be on site. Additionally, temporary overnight parking for residents with a valid City of Boston, South Boston Resident Parking Sticker will be provided at the angled parking spots located between Shore Road and the Castle Island parking lot.

“We are continuing to work closely with the local community, state, and city partners to implement important roadway safety improvements to Day Boulevard,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “We anticipate being able to complete these roadway changes by the middle of September, and these adjustments have been carefully planned and designed with the goals of providing a safe connection for the community to Moakley Park, the L Street Bath House and the waterfront by reducing vehicle speeds, and shortening crossing distances for pedestrians.”

“The Commonwealth’s network of parkways enables the public to connect directly with greenspaces and provides recreational opportunities for people of all abilities to enjoy, while also delivering important travel routes that unites neighborhoods, communities, and regions together” said Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy. “The Baker-Polito Administration recognizes that as traffic patterns and parkway uses change over time, that it is important to continue to modify these networks, like the roadway improvements to William J. Day Boulevard, to ensure safe passage is provided to all.”

An upcoming public meeting regarding Day Boulevard improvements is also scheduled as follows:

6:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 12
Curley Community Center
1663 Day Boulevard, South Boston

Visual message boards are currently activated to inform travelers of the road closure this evening. Staff have been distributing flyers throughout the impacted area regarding parking restrictions. MassDOT and DCR will continue to provide updates throughout the course of construction.

MassDOT encourages the public to be mindful of these impacts. Those traveling through the area should reduce speed and use caution and seek alternate routes. The schedule for this work is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.