MBTA

Green Line Extension shutdown set to start on Sept. 18

The closure was originally supposed to take place in July and August but was pushed back

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The MBTA announced on Wednesday that work on the Squires Bridge that will cause the Green Line Extension to close for 25 days will begin on Sept. 18.

The work was originally supposed to take place in July and August but was pushed back.

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The bridge goes through Route 28/McGrath Highway over the Union Branch of the Green Line, the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line, and Somerville Avenue Extension.

The work plan has also been modified to reduce the original duration of the project from the original 42 days to 25 days.

A project to repair Squires Bridge was set to close the MBTA's new Green Line extension through the summer, but it will wait until after the Sumner Tunnel reopens.

The Green Line Extension has already become an important transit option for residents around Union Square.

"When they opened it, it was really exciting for me to be able to go right into Boston," Kelley Weedon said. "I use it every couple of weeks just to go into the city, and I was really upset when I found out they were going to close it because I love doing outdoor things in the city."

The Squires Bridge is an important part of the highway that connects Boston to Cambridge.

“We know this will come as an inconvenience to Green Line riders and we have worked to adjust our construction schedule to minimize impacts as much as possible while balancing the need to complete necessary infrastructure work,” MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. “With this new 25-day schedule, we can strike a better balance between completing important repairs while minimizing the impacts to transit service.” 

Green Line Extension commuters are encouraged to take the 86, 91, and CT2 bus routes that travel between Union Square and East Somerville Station on the Medford Branch. The MBTA has set up a hotline to answer rider questions about the project and service at 617-927-9957.

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