Holliston’s transportation director told the school committee on Aug. 28 that the Woodland Street Bridge is scheduled to reopen at 3 p.m. tomorrow and that reopening should relieve some bus-route congestion causing delays earlier in the school year.
Administrators reported the district has managed most routes “above expectations” despite the temporary bridge closure, but acknowledged recurring early-week delays tied to kindergarten and preschool rollouts. The director said typical delays have been 5–10 minutes rather than the 20–30 minute delays seen in prior years and that the district retains buffer time to absorb delays. The district adjusted five bus routes the previous evening for consistent tardiness and said it will consider further adjustments after Tuesday morning’s runs, once the bridge is in use for buses.
Committee members asked whether reopening the bridge would change dismissal or drop-off procedures at specific campuses; administrators said the bridge reopening is for bus routing only and that other traffic and procedural plans at school sites will remain unchanged unless the administration proposes alternatives.
The transportation update also noted staff would continue to monitor trends, make limited route changes if patterns persist, and aim to minimize repeated changes to family pickup times.