Photo: Courtesy of the Massachusetts Transportation Bay Authority.
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The months of April and May are going to make for interesting commutes for Blue Line riders, as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced suspensions on Monday between certain stations on the service.
According to the MBTA, between April 25 and May 8, service will be suspended between Airport and Bowdoin stations with alternate shuttle bus and ferry services in place.
Officials said that the suspensions are necessary to accommodate harbor tunnel repair work as Phase II of that work is scheduled to take place this spring.
The MBTA says the work includes a $5 million investment in replacing 1,800 feet of full depth track, in addition to tunnel and drainage system inspections, sealing leaks, upgrading tunnel lighting, fiber optic cable installation, the removal of abandoned cable, and signal repairs.
Photo: Courtesy of the Massachusetts Transportation Bay Authority.
Between May 12 and May 29, service will be suspended between Wonderland and Orient Heights stations with shuttle bus service supplemented there as well. That work, officials say, will be focused on critical repair work on the pedestrian bridge at Suffolk Downs Station.
“The work accomplished during these closures will ultimately lead to better, safer, more reliable service for our Blue Line riders on a faster timeline,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “We know these diversions can be an inconvenience, but these service suspensions allow us to expedite critical tunnel and infrastructure work.
Photo: Courtesy of the Massachusetts Transportation Bay Authority.
The MBTA says that Blue Line ridership is nearly 40 percent lower than it was before the pandemic.
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