The Chelsea Street Bridge’s closure through December created immediate traffic challenges on its first day. While the situation presented significant difficulties, City Manager Jay Ash noted that officials in both Chelsea and Boston had coordinated extensively in advance to manage the expected congestion. Traffic moved relatively smoothly during the morning hours of June 1, the closure’s opening day, though the real test came at the Meridian Street Bridge entrance where it intersects with Williams, Marginal, and Pearl Streets. By that afternoon, vehicles backed up from the intersection stretched toward the salt piles and beyond. “We are ready for contingencies,” said Ash. “We know the problem spot and we’re going to provide police officers for it.” A Boston Police Officer was stationed at the Meridian and Condor intersection on the East Boston side Wednesday at noon to direct traffic, with the special detail expected to remain through the afternoon rush hour.
Ash and his counterparts in Boston anticipated that the worst congestion would occur during this initial phase of the closure. “Once people are informed that the Chelsea Street Bridge is not open, they will use alternate routes,” he predicted. “As time goes by, traffic will decline and we are expecting no problems.” For taxi drivers who relied on the Meridian Street Bridge as their quickest route to Logan Airport, the prospect of extended travel times proved worrisome. “The summer months won’t be so bad,” said Arthur Smith, a longtime cab driver. “But what happens when oil tankers are using the Chelsea River in the fall and the Meridian Street Bridge is going up and down many times a day? What then?” That’s a very good question.