Somerville, MA, July 29, 2014 – While pleased the grounding of the McGrath highway is moving forward, residents and local elected officials who attended a recent meeting told Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) representatives that they want to make sure everyone is kept updated on planning and construction, and that the project is well-coordinated with other work going on around the city.

“As things change on McGrath, how will that effect Union Square, and the study that’s going on right now in Union Square?” Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston asked at the July 17 meeting.

A Forest Hills bridge is a connector, not a barrier, because it keeps 24,000 vehicles per day that are not going to local destinations off local streets. With the bridge, the traffic volumes on New Washington Street are kept relatively low, about one-third of what traffic volumes would be without a bridge.

Channel 5 tweets that MBTA General Manager Rich Davey will replace state Transportation Department Secretary Jeff Mullan next month. As head of MassDOT, Davey will assume responsibility for highways across the state, including the turnpike and the ever popular Big Dig.

I just received notice at work from our building's transportation coordinator that the Craigie Bridge will have major lane closures this winter to repair the bridge. Craigie Bridge is the steel drawbridge on O'Brien Highway at the Leverett Circle that allows for ship access between Charles River and the harbor.