Preliminary utility work has started in the Boston suburb of Natick, Massachusetts, ahead of a major infrastructure reconstruction on the state’s first diverging diamond interchange, according to a news release.
Jacobs, along with Boston-based McCourt Construction, landed a contract with the Massachusetts DOT to design the new interchange at Routes 27 and 9 west of Boston, according to the April 25 news release.
Valued at $99.2 million, according to the Massachusetts DOT, the project will replace the structurally deficient Route 27 bridge over Route 9 with two single-span bridges and a dedicated shared-use path bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. The redesigned interchange will improve traffic flow and reduce collisions, according to the release.
Dallas-based Jacobs, along with design-build partner McCourt Construction, will also add new accessible bike and pedestrian facilities throughout the interchange. The project area stretches north along Route 27 to Rutledge Road and south to Bacon Street. About 3,600 feet of Route 9 will undergo drainage upgrades and median barrier replacement, according to the Massachusetts DOT.
The project team plans to use Jacobs’ StreetLight mobility analytics platform to monitor traffic patterns and minimize disruptions during construction. The cloud-based platform uses data from connected devices to analyze movements in real time, according to Jacobs.
That provides builders with on-demand insights on traffic and overall safety needs. Data from StreetLight will also help guide the placement of shared-use paths that connect to nearby schools, transit and major employers, according to the release.
Diverging diamond interchanges improve safety by eliminating left turns across oncoming traffic, reducing vehicle-to-vehicle accidents by up to 50%, according to the release. The design will also help ease congestion through the intersection.
“The Natick Bridge replacement, a first-of-its-kind interchange in Massachusetts, exemplifies how infrastructure and data solutions together deliver lasting societal benefits,” said Katus Watson, executive vice president at Jacobs, in the release. “Using insights from our StreetLight platform, we’ll keep traffic moving while delivering an innovative interchange design that improves safety and strengthens community connectivity.”
Jacobs expects work to wrap up by mid-2030, according to the release.
