Different households feel this project differently — through added commute time, cut-through traffic on local streets, or changes to service routes. The information below reflects what is known as of April 2026, including staff responses compiled for the April 15, 2026 Select Board meeting.
Expand topics for travel, emergency access, schools, and service routing.
Commute and daily travel
Residents on the side of town served by Providence Street will face a detour for approximately four to five months during active construction. The one-way Cemetery Street routing (per the engineering recommendation) adds approximately 19 minutes per trip for the most-affected addresses — estimated at 150 to 200 households on streets south of the bridge including Ashkins Drive, Cemetery Street, Colonial Drive, Puffer Drive, Eldridge Road, Lundvall Road, Quissett Road, Gaskill Street, King Philip, Massasoit Way, Swandale, and portions of Providence Street. This applies every time residents leave and return — not just once a day — and represents a significant cumulative impact over the construction period.
Emergency services
Massachusetts General Law Ch. 87 s7b authorizes emergency vehicles to travel contrary to traffic signs during emergency response. This is standard practice statewide and provides the legal framework for emergency access during the closure.
Fire Department (Chief Bangma): The Fire Department will not travel the wrong direction on Cemetery Street unless responding to an active emergency. For routine returns to the station, the FD takes the detour. Chief Bangma has stated: "I don't see the detour being a liability; it is no different from when a crew is committed on another call."
Police Department (Chief Kurczy): During the previous Providence Street closure, police provided escort for ambulance transport to the hospital via Cemetery Street. The same protocol is proposed for this project. Police will shut down Cemetery Street to allow wrong-way travel when needed during emergencies.
Chief Bangma has also publicly stated that two-way traffic on Cemetery Street would create "blind" left turns and delay emergency vehicle returns to the station due to limited sight distance at Hartford Avenue East.
School buses
MURSD provided a detailed response for the April 15 meeting packet. Key points from Transportation Director Jay Byer:
- The current contingency for bus routes is to take the detour, adding approximately 20 minutes per run.
- Buses run three times per day for each school level (high school, middle school, and elementary school) — the delay compounds across multiple runs daily.
- Students enrolled in the Spanish Immersion program at Memorial School would face even further delays.
- During the last Providence Street closure, buses were instructed to drive the wrong way on Cemetery Street with flashers on — MURSD has described this as "not a safe solution when transporting a bus full of children."
Police have confirmed they can authorize wrong-way bus access on Cemetery Street with one hour of overtime coverage on each shift end. The details of this arrangement with MURSD and the bus service provider will be finalized as the construction date approaches.
Solid waste, recycling, mail, and package delivery
Vendors and carriers serving addresses on the affected side will need to adjust routing during the closure. Contact the Highway Department and your waste vendor for any schedule or access changes before construction begins.
Cut-through and neighborhood traffic
During a full road closure on a collector route, GPS and mapping apps sometimes route traffic onto local residential streets not designed for the volume. A Cemetery Street resident has reported vehicles already traveling at 45 to 50 mph on the road in the current one-way configuration. The Highway Department and Police will post signage and enforcement details as plans are confirmed — contact Highway with specific concerns.
Local businesses
Residents on the affected side of the culvert will face significantly longer trips to reach businesses along Hartford Avenue and Route 16. Some residents have raised concerns about delivery services potentially flagging addresses as "out of area" during the closure. While the exact business impact is difficult to predict, the detour does add meaningful travel time for routine errands.
Where to ask first
- Highway / road closures / detour: 508-473-0737 or highwaydpt@mendonma.gov
- Police (non-emergency) — traffic complaints, enforcement, safety concerns: 508-478-2737
- School district — bus routing: contact the Mendon-Upton Regional School District transportation department directly
- Select Board Admin — project questions: bosadmin@mendonma.gov
- Emergencies: call 911
If you are unsure whether a service change applies to your address, call the relevant department rather than relying on informal social media posts.