South Street detours on Columbus Day weekend

Replacement of train tracks will interrupt through-flow of traffic

Detail from Waltham Police Dept. map. See link in story for full set of maps.

Driving to and from Brandeis University next weekend is likely to take a bit more time – and perhaps require an alternative route.

The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company (MBCRC) recently announced that it will replace the train-crossing tracks on South Street near the Brandeis/Roberts commuter rail station between Friday, Oct. 5, at 11 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.

The work will force the closure to traffic of the South Street railroad crossing during that time.

As a result, most South Street traffic will be stopped and forced to detour at Highland and Bedford streets east of campus, closer to downtown Waltham. Local traffic, including drivers going to and from Brandeis, will be allowed to pass.

Drivers approaching Brandeis from the west and south on I95, Route 30 or the Massachusetts Turnpike will face a similar situation. Local traffic will be allowed to pass through detour checkpoints on River Road and South Street, but only to the area of the tracks. No vehicular traffic will be allowed to cross the tracks to the campus entrance, though pedestrians will be able to cross at safe location.

Check the Waltham Police Department map for more information on detours.

Commuter rail and bus services will continue to run from the station and parking will be available at the Brandeis/Roberts lot on either side of the tracks.

During the regular scheduled hours of operation of the Escort Safety Service, a shuttle van will service the students who reside within the university owned Charles River Road residence complex. Please contact the Escort Safety Coordinator at (781) 736-4999 for additional information.

The Boston/Cambridge shuttle bus will be in operation but may experience time delays due to the detours.

Commuters and visitors approaching campus from the south and west recently also may have noticed some roadwork on River Road near the Rt. 30 interchange. Starting Oct. 1 through March, drivers will be directed onto a short, temporary bypass road while the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority replaces water pipes and valves leading to the Hultman Aqueduct. Details are here.