Route 24 in Fall River narrows Thursday, Nov. 12, from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. for MassDOT inspections
MassDOT says lanes will close in both directions, police will assist with traffic control and the work should be done by Friday morning, weather permitting.
FALL RIVER Route 24 in Fall River loses lanes Thursday night, Nov. 12, from 8:30 p.m. until 4 a.m. Friday, while Massachusetts Department of Transportation crews inspect what the agency calls ancillary structures on the highway between mile markers 0.1 and 1.5, the stretch that runs north from the Rhode Island line.
The inspections cover Route 24 northbound and southbound, and lane closures will be in place in both directions, MassDOT said in an advisory, with lane and shoulder closures set up as needed. At least one lane will stay open at all times, police will assist with traffic control, and signs and messages will guide drivers through the work area, the agency said. MassDOT told drivers going through the area to expect delays, slow down and use caution, and it expects the work to be finished by Friday morning, Nov. 13, though the schedule depends on the weather and could change without notice.
What drivers will see
MassDOT's roadwork listings on Mass511 show night lane closures on Route 24 southbound between Exit 2 and the Rhode Island state line in Fall River from 8:30 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday, with a 12-foot width limit. Those listings, last updated Friday, Nov. 6, name only the southbound side, while the advisory says lane closures will be in place on the northbound side as well.
South of the line, Route 24 continues into Tiverton, R.I., and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation's travel advisories for Nov. 7 to 13 list no Route 24 work in Tiverton. Drivers can check conditions before they leave on the Mass511 app, at mass511.com or by dialing 511, MassDOT said.
What gets inspected
Ancillary structures include the supports that hold up highway signs, lights and traffic signals, according to national guidelines the Federal Highway Administration published in 2005 on installing, inspecting, maintaining and repairing those supports. The guidelines say the main reason for compiling them was increasing problems with wind induced vibration, fatigue and even structural collapse of those support systems, and that they are meant to help the agencies that own the structures manage them, spot potential problem areas and keep them performing safely.
Other night work around Fall River
Route 79 northbound in Fall River narrows between Route 138 and Exit 7 (Route 24) from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Wednesday night, Nov. 11, and again on Thursday night, Nov. 12, with a 12-foot width limit, Mass511 shows.
On Wednesday and Thursday nights nearby, I-195 eastbound in Swansea between Route 136 and Exit 10 (Route 103) and I-195 westbound between Exit 19 and Exit 14 (Route 24), listed in Westport, have night lane closures from 8 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. On Thursday night, Route 6 in Swansea has intermittent lane closures in both directions between Route 118 and Route 103 from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., with a 12-foot width limit, and MassDOT lists night lane closures on I-195 in both directions between Exit 24 (Route 140) in New Bedford and Exit 27 in Fairhaven from 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Every lane and ramp closure on South Coast highways this week, night by night, is in our roads report for the week of Nov. 9.
MassDOT revises these listings as the week goes on, and the hours here are the ones its listings showed Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 12:47 p.m.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every fact comes from the agencies' own records: MassDOT's advisory on the Route 24 inspections, which MassDOT Communications emailed to us Nov. 5; MassDOT's roadwork events on Mass511, which we read Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 11:22 a.m. and again at 12:47 p.m., checking each event's own record for its start time and last update; the Rhode Island Department of Transportation's advisories for Nov. 7 to 13; and the Federal Highway Administration's 2005 guidelines on sign, light and signal supports, and we checked every date and weekday against a calendar.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (4)
- MassDOT Advisory: Fall River: Ancillary Structure Inspections on Route 24Massachusetts Department of Transportation advisory emailed to South Coast 360 by MassDOT Communications on Nov. 5, 2026, 1:36 p.m. Route 24 northbound and southbound, mile markers 0.1 to 1.5, Fall River, Thursday, Nov. 12, 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m., anticipated done by Friday morning, Nov. 13, lane closures northbound and southbound, lane and shoulder closures as needed, at least one lane open at all times, police assisting with traffic control and safety setups, signage and messaging, expect delays, weather dependent and subject to change without notice, Mass511 and 511. Read Nov. 5 and Nov. 7 (full text) and Nov. 11, 2026.
- Mass511, MassDOT roadwork eventsMassDOT planned events WZM1040239 and WZM1040240 (Route 24 southbound, Exit 2 to the Rhode Island state line, Fall River, Thursday 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m., some lanes closed, 12-foot width limit, last updated Nov. 6, 2026, 11:17 a.m.), WZM1040404 (Route 79 northbound, Route 138 to Exit 7, Wednesday and Thursday 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.), WZM1040393, WZM1040396, WZM1040444 and WZM1040621. Read Nov. 11, 2026, 11:22 a.m. and again 12:47 p.m. EST.
- Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Statewide Travel Advisories, November 7 to 13, 2026Newport County and highway listings; Tiverton items are Main Rd. and Route 177 only, no Route 24 work. Read Nov. 11, 2026, 11:29 a.m. and 12:51 p.m. EST.
- Federal Highway Administration, Guidelines for the Installation, Inspection, Maintenance and Repair of Structural Supports for Highway Signs, Luminaires, and Traffic Signals (FHWA NHI 05-036, March 2005)Report documentation page and abstract: guidance for ancillary highway structures, compiled because of increasing problems with wind induced vibration, fatigue and even structural collapse of these support systems. Read Nov. 11, 2026.