Wind-tilted telephone poles led to closure of Route 1 South in Saugus last Friday

Sixty-five-mile-per-hour winds took their toll on Route 1 traffic last Friday afternoon, causing several telephone poles to tilt toward the highway, creating a safety hazard. State and Saugus police ordered the closure of Route 1 South between Walnut Street and the Lynn Fells Parkway until work crews were able to complete emergency utility repairs. National Grid and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation responded to the scene.

The Route 1 segment that runs through Saugus is a major thoroughfare in the Boston area that draws heavy rush hour traffic on late Friday afternoons and early evenings. Police had to divert traffic down Walnut Street, worsening traffic congestion in the area last Friday. Leaning utility poles also prompted police to close ramps from I-95 northbound and southbound to Route 1 and southbound at exit 63 in Peabody.