Detours Planned On Lynn Fells Parkway In Melrose Due To MBTA Project

MELROSE, MA — Motorists in Melrose will need to find alternate routes around part of the Lynn Fells Parkway near Melrose High School beginning this week as detours take effect at the Lynn Fells Parkway Bridge.

A portion of the parkway at the bridge will be closed between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. beginning on Tuesday. The closures will last through Friday, prompting the detours.

Crews will move forward with roadway milling and paving during these closures as detour signs guide drivers along the detour route. There will still be pedestrian access under the bridge during this phase of work, according to an MBTA announcement.

The MBTA on Monday encouraged drivers to avoid the area and seek alternate routes if possible.

“Those traveling through the area should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution,” the MBTA said.

The project schedule remains weather dependent and subject to change.

This work is part of a project to replace the nearly 100-year-old Lynn Fells Parkway bridge. The project began in 2019, with construction beginning in March of last year. Construction is set to wrap up this year, according to the MBTA.

The bridge serves the Haverhill Line of the MBTA. The MBTA has said that its replacement will provide “safer, more resilient, more reliable service on the Haverhill Line.”

The MBTA is in the process of replacing six bridges across its network, including this bridge in Melrose.

The MBTA in 2019 estimated that the total project involving each of the bridges would cost close to $91 million.