Table of Contents
From Town Engineer Matt Shuman
July 17, 2023. July 13, 2023
RE: Lake Street Bridge Closure
Dear Resident:
Later this month, the Town will close the Lake Street bridge to vehicular traffic. The bridge will be closed at all times (24 hours per day, 7 days per week) for the duration of construction.
The Town and its contractor will be setting up official posted detour routes for Palmer Street and Lake Street using Fletcher Street, Main Street and Church Street. These streets are better able to handle the number of vehicles that would normally use Lake Street.
Palmer and Lake Streets will remain open to access Wildwood Cemetery, Packer-Ellis Tennis Courts, DPW, and adjacent neighborhood streets.
We understand that drivers familiar with the area may use neighborhood streets instead of following the posted detours. It is difficult to prohibit traffic from using these streets while also allowing access to the Packer-Ellis tennis courts, DPW, abutting properties and neighborhood residents. The Town will be taking the following actions to mitigate the amount of traffic through the neighborhood:
• Additional signage will be posted on Cambridge Street and Main Street identifying the bridge closure so that traffic can use alternate routes such as Pond Street and Church Street instead and completely avoid the closure.
• Traffic will be monitored at the Lake Street, Skillings Road and Main Street intersection and the Fletcher Street, Church Street, and Bacon Street intersection. Traffic signal timings will be adjusted to provide additional green time to the detour routes, if needed, to reduce delays and the potential for cut-through traffic. Monitoring will occur after the bridge closes and again when school opens.
• Temporary rubber speed humps will be installed at various locations on Middlesex Street (near #59, #91 and #111) to reduce vehicle speeds through the neighborhood.
The bridge is expected to be closed through October. The Town will continue to monitor and evaluate traffic patterns and speeds in the area during the bridge closure and will adjust and modify these plans based on observed conditions.
Periodic updates will be posted on the Town’s website at www.winchester.us/lakestreetbridge
