The section from Mechanic Street to Free Street will be closed for demolition of a railroad trestle.
WESTFIELD - A section of Main Street from Mechanic to Free streets will be closed to traffic effective Monday.
The closure will allow the demolition of a railroad trestle and stone supports across Main Street as part of the on-going $14.4 million road reconstruction of Main, Broad and Elm streets and Park Square Green.
Police Capt. Michael A. McCabe said the road closure will require detour of all vehicle traffic around that section, but all large truck traffic will be advised to bypass the area entirely.
“Trucks will be instructed to use Union Street to avoid all of Main Street,” McCabe said Friday. “Passenger cars will be diverted to Meadow and Cross streets. They will be able to access all downtown businesses with a little ingenuity,” he said.
Trucks will use Union Street for travel to North Elm Street and then to Franklin Street to avoid major delays and allow access to points west of the intersection of Main and White streets.
McCabe said an electronic sign board will be posted on Springfield Road, Franklin Street and Court Street Monday morning.
The section of Main Street from Mechanic to Free streets will be closed for an estimated 10 working days. And, because of safety concerns “there will be no turning of any kind onto Lindbergh Boulevard and Noble Street from Main Street. There is simply too much work ongoing to jeopardize public safety,” said McCabe.
While the closing of the section of Main Street is only temporary, the reconstruction project will cause significant traffic delays through its duration. The overall project, which includes installation of new utilities, is scheduled to continue through 2011.
