BOSTON, MA – August 18: Signs at the Government Center stop as the impending shutdown of the MBTA’s Orange and Green lines on August 18, 2022 in , BOSTON, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald
By GRACE ZOKOVITCH | gzokovitch@bostonherald.com |
PUBLISHED: August 21, 2022 at 7:31 p.m. | UPDATED: August 21, 2022 at 7:32 p.m.
Free shuttle buses will run between the stations during the four-week closure
BOSTON, MA – August 18: Signs at the Government Center stop as the impending shutdown of the MBTA’s Orange and Green lines on August 18, 2022 in , BOSTON, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Another large section of the T is set to shut down Monday, tossing a little more chaos into riders’ lives.
The Green Line will not run between the Government Center and Union Square for four weeks from Monday to Sunday, Sept. 18. Free shuttle buses will run between the stations during the closure, making stops at Lechmere station and along the Lechmere station bus loop.
The latest T section taken out of service joins the entire Orange Line, which shut down Friday and will remain closed for 30 days.
“I know construction can be disruptive, but I want to thank all of our riders for their understanding as we continue to move forward as an Authority to deliver the service they deserve,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a release Sunday.
The shutdown will allow for the demolition of the Government Center Garage and work on the Green Line Extension Project, a plan to build the line out to Union Square in Somerville and College Avenue in Medford.
Residents have been told to expect “major traffic impacts” during the overlapping shutdowns between the North Shore and Boston. MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said key congestion areas may include Charles Circle, Leverett Circle, Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square.
Mayor Michelle Wu is scheduled to host a press event on the the MBTA updates in front of the flagpoles at City Hall at 9:30 a.m. Monday, after riding a shuttle bus with constituents.
Shuttle buses, free commuter rail transport and free Bluebikes access have all been part of the city’s plan to provide alternate transport during the unprecedented major shutdowns.
MassDOT Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler said Friday the alternative transportation plans during the shutdowns may be altered as the city responds to the situation.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Doughty and lieutenant governor candidate Kate Campanale will also host an event at the North Station at 8 a.m. Monday to “assess the MBTA Orange Line shutdown so far,” Doughty said in a tweet.
In better news, an MBTA release announced the E branch of the Green Line reopened Sunday ahead of schedule, a brief and slight reprieve from the closure chaos. The track was closed for 16 days for Green Line Transformation Program and safety improvement work.
The Transformation Program plans have already been completed for the B and C sections. The D branch is the last section scheduled for work this year and will be closed for three nine-day periods between Sep. 24 and Oct. 30.
The MBTA will prioritize keeping “riders informed as we make these critical improvements to the D branch,” said MBTA Chief of Capital Transformation Angel Peña.
Free shuttle buses will run between the Riverside and Kenmore stations during the closures, excluding the Beaconsfield station for accessibility reasons.
