Lake Street Bridge to Close

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