Tewksbury DPW Announces Details About Whipple Road Closure, Detours

TEWKSBURY, MA — The Town of Tewksbury Department of Public Works (DPW) has announced details of the closure of Whipple Road, which began Wednesday and is part of the Whipple Road Water Main Replacement Project.

According to the Tewksbury DPW, for the next four to six weeks, Whipple Road will be closed between the French Street and Rogers Street intersections during construction hours — typically 7 a.m. to 3:30 pm. Monday through Friday. Detours will be in place.

Brian Gilbert, director of Public Works in Tewksbury, said the current detours and traffic plan may change during the construction timeframe.

The road construction will start at the intersection of Whipple Road and French Street and progress south toward Rogers Street.

Under the current traffic plan, vehicles will be detoured in both directions utilizing French Street, North Billerica Road and Rogers Street as a detour route, the DPW announced.

The DPW said traffic control officers will be on-site to direct traffic and detour signs will be posted along the detour route and at side streets within the roadway closure area.

Residents who live within the closed portion of Whipple Road will be allowed to bypass the roadway closure and get to their residences, according to the DPW.

"Depending on where the construction work zone is located each day, residents will need to access their houses from either the French street or Rogers Street end of Whipple Road," the Tewksbury DPW said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Tewksbury DPW said school buses will not be impacted by these detours and will be allowed to bypass the detour routes in order to pick up and drop off students. Likewise, trash collection and mail and package delivery vehicles also will be allowed to bypass the roadway closure in order to access residences.

Additionally, tractor trailers will be allowed to bypass the detour route due to tight turning radiuses along the detour route.

Details about the Whipple Road closures —including updates to the traffic plan — are available on the Town of Tewksbury website. Residents can direct questions about the project to Andrew Stack at the Tewksbury DPW at 978-640-4444 ext. 256 or astack@tewksbury-ma.gov.