BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority on Wednesday said crews are working “around the clock” in preparation of the Orange and Green Line shutdowns later this month.
“We’re working around-the-clock to prep for upcoming Orange and Green Line diversions. Every day we meet internally with MassDOT and municipal partners to coordinate crucial upgrades and plan the best alternate transit for riders like commuter rail, shuttle buses, accessible vans, and bikes,” the MBTA said in a tweet.
Starting at 9 p.m. on Aug. 19, the entire Orange Line will close through Sept. 18 in effort to complete “critical track maintenance” amid mounting safety issues that continue to plague subway service in and around Boston, Gov. Charlie Baker and MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak announced earlier this month.
The MBTA Board of Directors has authorized a $37 million contract with Yankee Line Inc. to provide up to 200 shuttle buses during peak commuting hours to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of people who ride the Orange Line each day.
[ Commuter concerns mount as countdown to Orange Line shutdown looms ]
The shutdown will provide work crews with unencumbered access to the entirety of the Orange Line’s 20 stations, over 121,000 feet of track, and infrastructure, allowing a substantial amount of work to be accomplished, according to Poftak.
When the shutdown ends, the MBTA will roll out an Orange Line fleet that is predominantly new cars, according to Poftak.
The shutdown of the Green Line will overlap with the closure of the Orange Line, the MBTA announced just two days after informing the public of the Orange Line service disruption.
[ Final plan for MBTA shutdowns still in the works ]
Service on the Green Line, including the newly-opened Union Branch, will be unavailable in both directions between Government Center and Union Square stations from Monday, Aug. 22, through Sunday, Sept. 18.
Commuters on the Green Line Extension will be diverted to shuttle buses, just like the Orange Line riders.
The MBTA said the Green Line shutdown is necessary “in order help facilitate the opening of the Medford Branch and to allow crews to perform final-phase construction work” and “to allow for continued work at the private Government Center Garage project.”
In May, the Federal Transit Administration issued a report highlighting four major safety concerns for the MBTA to address. That came a little over a month after a man was dragged to his death by a Red Line train leaving Broadway Station.
But the agency continues to be plagued by problems, including a runaway Red Line train in May and an Orange Line fire last month that sent hundreds of passengers scrambling to safety through smashed windows to escape. One woman even jumped into a river to escape the flames.
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The FTA ordered a “safety standdown” of the MBTA in late July in response to Red Line trains rolling away on their own.
Workers were required to take part in briefings where they reviewed and discussed recent incidents involving runaway trains.
The shutdown of both lines is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of commuters.
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