MBTA: 28-Day Delays Will Make Work More Efficient

Infrastructure Growing Gridlock Aging Transit — In this Thursday, June 18, 2015 photo, a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train makes it's way along a curved portion of track, in Boston. Public transportation has long been hailed as a surefire remedy for traffic congestion, but many of the nation's largest mass transit systems are struggling.

February 13, 2020

A new maintenance plan recently released in a report by the MBTA will feature closures along some lines scheduled to last almost a month apiece in order to speed up repair and maintenance processes.

"A 28-day full weekday & weekend closure would replace 1 year of delays, slow zones, and weekend diversions by improving work site safety, allowing complex work to be done more efficiently, and leveraging access for concurrent work," the report said.

The 2020 plan included repairs along 29 miles of track. The closures would allows the MBTA to complete about eight years-worth of improvements before the end of the year, according to the report.

The line expected to receive the most attention is the Green Line, which will see 10.8 miles of track work and upgrades to 14 intersections.

The MBTA said night and weekend work will take place all year on the Riverside branch, and the Boston College line will see work for three weekends between May and June.

The report also said that repair work on the Lechmere viaduct will close Lechmere and Science Park stations for 11 months, starting in late April.

The Cleveland Circle and Heath branches will see 28-day full closures from late June to late July and late July to late August, respectively. The schedule will shave 760 days off of initial repair estimates, the MBTA report said.

The report also said that 7.4 miles of commuter rail lines will be affected by work throughout 2020 as crews build 39,000 feet of new track along the Franklin Line, build two new crossovers for trains to switch tracks and accelerate the acquisition of 80 bi-level commuter rail coaches "to improve reliability and capacity."

In the announcement, the MBTA said commuters can expect to see work continue at the Quincy Adams and Braintree parking garages through 2021 and improve lighting on weekends at Harvard Station through April.

Authorities estimated the work would repair 32,000 feet of track on the Red Line. Commuters should also be aware that work to mitigate leaks between Harvard and Alewife station will also take place — there will be shuttle service for passengers between the stops during that time.

The MBTA report said that work to upgrade maintenance facilities at Wellington Yard and the modernization of three escalators at the Oak Grove Station will take place through 2021. It added that night and weekend work will take place from June through August around North Station for wayfinding and station improvements.

There will be shuttle service between Airport and Aquarium stations on the Blue Line as the MBTA replaces 2,500 feet of track and performs tunnel leak repairs as well as weather proofing.