Rte. 128

Gradon Tripp managed to photograph the giant cloud of doom about to crash down on 128 north around 4:30 p.m.

The grim photo.

The story behind the photo.

In rush hour at exit 21 by the service area. Mike Moura reports two lanes southbound and one northbound are shut for the investigation.

UPDATE: State Police report:

Preliminary investigation indicates that the victim, an 18-year-old man, was apparently crossing the highway on foot at approximately 6:30 a.m. when he was struck by a motor vehicle on the northbound side of the highway, thrown across the median into the southbound side, and struck again on that side of the highway. He was determined to be deceased at the scene. State Police are in the process of making notifications to next-of-kin. Because that process is ongoing, we will not release any further information – including the victim's name, hometown, and why he was at that location – at this time. As of this point, no charges have been filed.

MassDOT reports it's opening the remaining fourth-lane sections of 128, er, 93/95/1/Hut!, between Randolph and Westwood this week. Schedule of segment openings. Important note:

With the opening of the new fourth travel lane, the authorized use of the breakdown lane for travel during weekday peak commuting periods will be discontinued to enhance driver safety and provide emergency vehicle access.

In other words, from now on, the breakdown lane is only for breaking down in.

State Police report a box truck full of ice rolled over around 8:30 a.m. on a ramp from Rte. 128 north to Rte. 62 in Danvers. No word if it was in a convoy with a Scotch truck.

Jon Chesto explores the enduring popularity of "128", despite the best efforts of state and federal bureaucrats to kill the name off.

WBZ reports State Police are investigating why a dump truck had its dumper up when it smashed into an overpass on Rte. 128 near University Drive around 5 a.m.

Update, 7:40 a.m., Tuesday: MassDOT reports all lanes in both directions are now open.

State Police shut the highway in both directions around 10 p.m. when a tanker with about 8,000 gallons of gasoline rolled over and began leaking. Fire and hazmat crews from across the area are staging in the Woburn Mall parking lot to try to control the leak.

Photo from the scene.

Sarah Adams captured a Masshole in his natural element on 128 in Peabody today: Driving into a thunderstorm in a pickup packed like that.

Shortly before 7 a.m. today, Ben Ostrander tweeted:

Whoa, I just saw a black bear on the side of 95 south in Dedham near Legacy Place!

Sheeps Eating Me followed up around 9:20 a.m.:

I just saw a BLACK BEAR on Rt 109 in Dedham by 128. What???

About 8 minutes later, Nichole Davis tweeted:

Environmental police have been dispatched to find the bear roaming on 109 near 128 in Dedham. Stay safe Cape Cod Bear, or warn your cousin.

The bear sightings come just a day after residents in Medfield - just down 109 from Dedham - spotted a bear.

Ed. question: You think maybe the bear is trying to find Ursuline Academy?

Bad crash in Woburn

Pete D. captured the scene on 128 just as the first ambulance was driving up around 1 p.m.

State Police tweet a crash on 128 south in Burlington around 4:20 p.m. ended with a tractor-trailer in the woods, a motorcycle down and two rolled over cars, but no serious injuries. One lane was open to traffic. State Police say the driver of a dark-colored pickup that fled the scene may be responsible.

Around 11:40 a.m., Jim Lokay posted a photo of the backed up traffic on the turnpike westbound between Framingham and 495.

Around the same time, Dave reported a major jam on 128 north by Rte. 20 in Waltham caused by a multi-vehicle crash that closed three lanes. Sarah Nelson reported a similar situation involving another multi-car crash on 495 south between exits 26 and 27.

It's Boston vs. the suburbs over what roads fuel tankers can take, the Herald reports.

Earlier:
City study: North End streets no place for trucks with hazardous cargo.

Massachusetts State Police tweet Watertown Square is a mess this morning thanks to a truck that brought down trackless-trolley wires.

The Staties add the ramp from 128 north to 95 north in Peabody is literally a mess - and shut down - thanks to a tractor trailer that overturned and spilled its load of ink cartridges, giving the road surface some new coloration. Photo.

Eoin tweets Rte. 128 was a skating rink in the morning commute and that he stopped counting spinouts when he got to 34.

We got caught in it as we drove along the Fens: Frequent, vivid lightning flashes, rain coming down in sheets, people just walking slowly because they'd gotten to that point where they realized they were so soaked trying to rush was pointless.

And only 15 minutes earlier, we were busy enjoying a rainbow right over Faulkner Hospital.

Jim Storer was out jogging when the storm hit:

The last half of the run was either exhilarating or terrifying, depending on the moment. Flashes and crashes were happening every 10 seconds or so, some closer to me than others. I consciously ran on the side of the street with the shorter trees, convincing myself that was the smart thing to do (is it?). With about a mile to go there was a strike so close I saw the blue light in my face and the the lightning struck a tree about 100 yards away.

The scene in Chinatown, by JJ Leslie. Jeff Cutler videoed the rain on 128:

The Gloucester Times reports on a fire under the A. Piatt Andrew Bridge on Rte. 128.

Charles McEnerney spotted this novel combo on 128 north in Needham. OK, so it's probably an ancient Boeing trolley being hauled up to the trolley museum, but it gets you to thinking ...

Channel 5 reports on the fire in a storage yard at 95/128 in Peabody.

Photo by the Salem Evening News.

The Globe reports a truck full of mulch overturned on 128 north in Waltham this afternoon, sending mulch flying everywhere and narrowing the road to just one lane. Don't even think of what would happen if all that mulch caught on fire.

MORNING UPDATE: The Muddy River dropped below flood stage overnight (graph), so it looks like Riverside service is back. But looks like the Red Line between Ashmont and Fields Corner has been knocked out by flooding. Also, the main road through Franklin Park is shut, mhowardkarp reports.

In general, of course, but more specifically at:

Rte. 128 southbound to Winter Street in Waltham: MassDOT reports flooding on Winter Street has forced the closure of the exit ramp, which could mean a nightmare for folks trying to get to business parks off that exit.

Rte. 2 eastbound to Alewife station: Ditto.

Green Line, Reservoir to Kenmore: Buses instead of trains due to Muddy River flooding near Kenmore.

Four-alarmer at the Gifford School in Weston, the Globe reports.

The Herald reports on the jam at the Burlington/Lexington line this morning.

Props to editor Joe Dwinell for grabbing an image off one of those state highway cameras, which happened to be pointed right at the the spot where the truck came to rest around 5:30 a.m.

The state's opened up its traffic cameras to the public, so now you can see what state traffic engineers see along Rte. 128, the Southeast Expressway, Rte. 3 north of 128, three spots on I-93 between 128 and the Zakim and near the Sagamore Bridge.