Route 70 Bridge TEMPORARY CLOSURE – AUGUST 17, 2023

What is happening?
Between 6:00AM and 4:00PM on Thursday, August 17, 2023, MassDOT will temporary close the bridge which carries Route 70 (Lunenburg Road) over Route 2 in Lanacaster, Massachusetts to place concrete for the first phase of bridge repairs. The agency is currently completing repairs stemming from an incident in the summer of 2022 when the bridge was struck and damaged by an over-height truck.
How will I be impacted?
During the temporary closure, both north and southbound traffic will be detoured along the route which southbound traffic has been using since the 14th of July (see the above map). Removing all traffic from the bridge will allow the concrete to set without vibrations caused by passing vehicles resulting in a stronger deck and fewer maintenance impacts to the traveling public in the long run. Once the concrete has set, the bridge will be re-opened for northbound traffic only.
Repairs to the bridge are currently anticipated to wrap up early this fall, providing a more reliable crossing over Route 2. The full repair effort includes:
  • Completely stripping the asphalt pavement to expose the bridge deck.
  • Performing repairs to the reinforced concrete deck.
  • Applying new waterproofing to the repaired deck and installing a new asphalt pavement riding surface and new line striping.
  • Installing new bridge joints.