Lowell – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing they will be installing a nightly detour for the Rourke Bridge, Sunday through Thursday nights, starting Sunday, December 3, 2023, and continuing throughout the winter.

This closure is necessary to allow for bridge repairs on the Rourke Bridge over Merrimack River and CSX Railroad.  The bridge will be closed at 8:00 PM each night and reopened by 5:00 AM the following day.

Traffic will be detoured as follows:

• South of the Rourke Bridge: from Wood Street Extension, take a right onto Middlesex Street, left onto School Street, left onto Pawtucket Boulevard back to its’ intersection at Wood Street Extension.
• North of the Rourke Bridge: from Pawtucket Boulevard, take a right onto School Street, a right onto Middlesex Street back to its’ intersection at Wood Street Extension.

Drivers who are traveling through the impacted areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution.

All work is weather dependent and subject to cancellation or modification.

For more information on traffic conditions, travelers are encouraged to:

• Dial 511 and select a route to hear real-time conditions;
• Visit mass511.com, a website that provides real-time traffic and incident advisory information and allows users to subscribe to text and email alerts for traffic conditions;
• Follow MassDOT on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MassDOT to receive regular updates on road and traffic conditions;
• Download MassDOT’s GoTime mobile app and view real-time traffic conditions before setting out on the road.