Health

Traffic Causing Massive Gridlock at MGH

Massachusetts General Hospital. The Boston Globe - The Boston Gl

By Jordan Lebeau @JordanInBoston

February 3, 2015

1 minute to read

Major traffic near the Massachusetts General Hospital Main Campus on Fruit Street has made entering and exiting extremely difficult for patients and ambulance vehicles alike. Two prominent area reporters were caught in the gridlock.

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The hospital, in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, acknolwedged the “major traffic issues on streets surrounding the hospital right now.’’

The statement went on to say that “patients may experience difficulty getting in for their appointments in a timely manner and staff members may experience delays in arriving for their shifts.’’

Mass. General has reached out to Boston Police, Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Transportation Department to help reduce traffic. The hospital also asked that patients consider taking public transportation, or “waiting to leave campus until traffic has subsided.’’

Update, 4:26 p.m.: MGH is now asking some employees to remain at the hospital.

“As you are aware, the streets around the hospital are experiencing heavy traffic as the result of a city-wide issue affecting the area around MGH most heavily,’’ the hospital said in a statement. “At this time we are asking employees who cannot leave work on foot – either to walk home or to take public transportation – to remain at the hospital to both alleviate congestion on the roads and to ensure proper staffing levels.’’

Update, 5:45 p.m.: MGH anticipates more stoppage ahead, due in part to tonight’s Bean Pot tournament at the TD Garden.

“At this time there is still significant gridlock traffic on the roads surrounding the hospital which will likely be made worse by tonight’s Bean Pot tournament at the TD Garden,’’ said the hospital in its most recent statement. “We’re continuing to do all that we can to safely discharge patients. Individual clinical units and other departments will determine any need for day staff to still remain at the hospital.’’