NEWTON, MASS. (WHDH) - The new bridge being built on the Mass Pike at the Newton-Weston line will open up for people driving westbound this weekend, and state officials are warning of a lane change that could confuse drivers.
To shift traffic onto the new bridge at the I-90 and Route 128 Interchange, Massachusetts Highway Administrator John Gulliver said crews will be closing lanes on the westbound side of the Mass Pike from 10 p.m. Friday until 6 a.m. Saturday. He said the new route will be an adjustment for drivers who frequent the area.
“You can’t cheat until the last second. You need to really make your lane choices earlier now,” Gulliver said. “It’s a huge project. It’s one of the biggest ones we have going on in the state right now.”
Gulliver is also warning drivers to be prepared for delays in the area.
“We expect this to be pretty smooth, but again, the first couple days of any new traffic configuration are going to be rough, and we just want to make sure drivers are aware of it,” he said.
The $400-million project has been in the works since 2024 and is now reaching the mid-point.
“The majority of the work we’re doing is not on the main travel line, so you’re not dealing with constant disruptions,” Gulliver said. “We design them in such a way so that when the projects unfold, we retain full capacity.”
Gulliver said redoing the interchange also includes safety improvements for first responders.
“This is an area, too, where if you’re a first responder and if there’s a crash or something, or a fire further up the roadway, you want your firetrucks, your ambulances, what have you, have to be able to get by. Right now traffic can’t. They have no place to move. They have to squish together,” he said.
The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)