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  • Green Line Extension Lechmere to Medford

  • Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.

Moderators: sery2831, CRail

 #1531212  by charlesriverbranch
 
* Reminder: Lechmere station closes April 2020 for 12 months **

There will be shuttle service to North Station. All bus service to Lechmere continues (69, 80, 87, 88). The new and relocated Lechmere station will open in April 2021, as well as the GLX spur to Union Square (E branch).
Why does there seem to be nothing about this on the MBTA Web site?
 #1531232  by Arlington
 
Depends where you look.

From a "Green Line Extension" standpoint, ever since the land-swap deal with Guilford/DelawareNorth that traded away Old Lechmere for the New Lechmere site (as part of a much bigger deal), "we all" knew that there'd be an interval where service to Old Lechmere would be bustituted, partly because the developers wanted to get their hands on the Old parcel, and partly because there was going to be a gap as the steel El structure was torn down and replaced.

From the FMCB meeting, Sec. Pollack said that the Lechmere Viaduct rehab was accelerated 4 years to coincide with the GLX-induced closure. (Had it not been, she said, they'd have faced the embarassment of opening the GLX and then 3 years later closing the viaduct.

As for why it doesn't appear in "upcoming closures" my guess is that they know that it is +/- 30 days from April 30, and specific enough to think that Union Sq will be ready "11mo to 12mo later" but not quite ready to announce a date certain for bustitution.

But we do see it deep inside.

Bid comparison for the contract
FMCB Presentation (which said it was being coordinated with the GLX's March 2020 to April 2021 closure of Lechmere)
 #1542845  by Jeff Smith
 
ProgressiveRailroading.com: MBTA accelerates Green Line extension work

Brief, fair-use quote per forum policy:
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) on May 18 will begin work to install two cross-track drainage lines beneath the Tufts interlocking in Medford in order to advance the Green Line Extension (GLX) project.

The work is necessary to accelerate construction of critical infrastructure inside a narrow rail corridor shared by the Lowell commuter-rail line and the GLX project, MBTA officials said in a press release.
...
 #1543983  by soundguise
 
Now that stations and track and especially the super visable work near lechmere is ongoing, any chance we could try to post some "under construction" photos.

I promise to snap some next time I bike by the museum of science.
 #1544368  by MBTA3247
 
Ask and ye shall receive!

Image

Image

Image

I noticed that the overhead has been removed all the way to Science Park. Also, the T is not using its own buses for the shuttle service - they're using buses from Academy Express.
 #1544947  by Yellowspoon
 
Lechmere is a parking lot a mere 12 days after rail service terminated.

The two lines split behind Superior Nut Company about 300m WNW of First Street.
Attachments:
200606_GreenLineExtensionSplit.jpg
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Lechmere is a parking lot
Lechmere is a parking lot
200606_Lechmere.jpg (114.77 KiB) Viewed 2405 times
 #1545087  by apodino
 
Wow...bittersweet to see the old Lechmere go, but I am glad to see that better things will come of it. The only thing I think the T bungled is when the Lechmere viaduct was closed the last time, that would have been a better time to build the new Lechmere station, and it could have avoided this shutdown. But the area will look so much different now, and I think it will actually brighten up the area near Cambridgeside Galleria.

So when all is said and done, my understanding is that the Tufts Branch will basically be an extension of the D branch, and the E branch will be the one going to Union Square. I would assume if that is true, the C trains will continue to turn at North Station, and the B trains will be extended back to Government center, with Park Street being a turn as directed station. Is that a safe assumption?
 #1545099  by The EGE
 
That is the plan as far as has been announced, though there hasn't been word on whether the B will loop at GC or Park. However, the projected Medford Branch boardings are nearly equal to the current D Branch, and current bus ridership to Lechmere is more concentrated on the peaks than the D Branch is. So it's very possible that you'll see sufficient crowding on that line to require extending the C through as well.
 #1545107  by ceo
 
I'm pretty sure your labels are reversed. The single-track viaduct to the right is the northbound Union Square ramp, and the double-track one to the left is the Medford branch.
 #1545235  by Yellowspoon
 
Oops, my bad. With Union Square in my 8 o'clock position and Tufts in my ten o'clock position, I posted the photograph before I knew that this was a flying junction. I now realize that the tracks to Union Square veer to the right and circle around and go under the Tufts tracks about 100m southwest of Inner Belt Road. The track from Union Square will join the Tufts tracks about 80m to the left of the photographer.

What I do not understand is why the Lechmere viaduct has to be closed for a year. Back in 1987, it took 4 days to change the Orange Line just south of Chinatown. Why not build finish the tracks and stations to Union Square and build the connection, about 60m, over a month.
Attachments:
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Last edited by CRail on Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:34 am, edited 1 time in total. Reason: Unnecessary quote removed.
 #1545256  by apodino
 
Remember that the Lechmere viaduct is being demolished and rebuilt as far south as the Gilmore Bridge. So the connection is not a simple as 60 Meters as you say, its more like a half mile of work. A significant portion of the viaduct is being rebuilt and the footprint for the new viaduct is going to cover the same part as the exisiting viaduct. So at some point, the viaduct would have to be shut down for a year to replace it (The old viaduct N of the Gilmore Bridge had to be renovated or replaced anyways as it was near its shelf life) By doing this at the same time as the rest of the project, this actually saves time and is much more beneficial to the project.

The reason the SW Corridor project could be tied in only four days is because the entire footprint was underground, and thus no additional construction was needed so it was simple enough to tie in the new line. Very similar to the Red Line extension to Alewife back in the day.
Last edited by CRail on Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:34 am, edited 1 time in total. Reason: Unnecessary nesting quotes removed. Do not use the "quote" button as a reply button.
 #1545272  by ceo
 
Also, they have to reinforce and rehabilitate the viaduct from Science Park to the Gilmore Bridge as well, as right now it's in such bad shape that it's severely restricted in how many trains can be run over it and how fast. This project got pushed up a few years so they could do it at the same time as the GLX shutdown.
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