Casey Overpass to Close for Emergency Repairs

The Casey Overpass will close for temporary repairs at the beginning of October.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will close the Casey Overpass, which carries Route 203/Arborway over Washington and New Washington streets in Forest Hills, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 and Sunday, Oct. 6, according to a department statement Friday.

MassDOT will use jackhammers to remove and repair 17 deck spans so that the bridge is drivable in snow and ice events, according to the statement.

“As a result, there will be noise associated with this work,” the statement says.

The department will likely have to close the bridge to perform similar maintenance for up to three more weekends.

During the closures, the following detour will be in place:

For vehicles traveling in the southbound direction (toward the Shattuck Hospital): exit the Arborway at the offramp before the bridge; turn left and then right on to New Washington Street; turn right on Washington Street and left on to the Arborway Surface Road to Shea Circle/Forest Hills Rotary. 

See map: http://goo.gl/maps/xFNaW

For vehicles traveling in the northbound direction (toward Jamaica Pond/Jamaicaway): exit Shea Circle/Forest Hills Rotary at the exit immediately following Forest Hills Street; continue on through New Washington Street; take the onramp at the intersection of New Washington and South streets to access the Arborway/Route 203. 

See map: http://goo.gl/maps/G3Zc0

These deck repairs are only an interim measure.  A replacement project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2014, which will result in the removal of the structurally deficient bridge and a reconfiguration of this area at grade.