A portion of the Blue Line will close for two weeks this month. Here’s what to know.
Shuttle buses will be offered starting May 18 for certain stops, the MBTA says.
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MBTA Blue Line service between Bowdoin and Airport stations will stop for two weeks starting May 18 for accelerated track and infrastructure work, the agency announced Friday.
Shuttle bus service will be offered for riders through Sunday, May 31 as crews complete the upgrades as part of the five-year, $8 billion capital program to upgrade and modernize tracks, signals, switches, stations, and vehicle fleets across the transit system.
“The work accomplished during this closure will lead to numerous benefits, including increased train speeds, shorter travel times, and a more reliable service schedule,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement. “Our main focus continues to be safety, especially during the COVID-19 situation, with the MBTA’s shuttle plan including measures that promote social distancing. We know these diversions can be an inconvenience, but the service suspension allows us expedite critical track and tunnel infrastructure work and remove the restrictions that currently limit train speeds.”
Take the Blue Line? Starting 5/18 T runs buses not trains Bowdoin-Airport 24/7 for 14 days straight. One bus route is express. https://t.co/ARLeEl3q4B pic.twitter.com/qv53b4Udyd
— Jacquelyn Goddard (@JacqueGoddard) May 9, 2020
The latest batch of upgrades follow work completed last fall at Bowdoin station and include track replacement that will ultimately reduce travel times by up to 51 seconds on one-way trips between Airport and Maverick stations, officials said.
The MBTA has also targeted tunnel leak mitigation and drainage work between the Maverick and Aquarium stops that it says will reduce water leak-related service delays, among other improvements.
According to the MBTA, the work was initially slated for later this year — a process that would have included disruptions to weekend service. But officials opted to advance the schedule while the system is experiencing a significant drop in ridership as the region hunkers down amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The shuttle bus plan includes measures to promote social distancing for riders, and the agency “will carefully monitor ridership levels on the shuttle buses, adjusting service levels if needed,” the MBTA said. Riders must wear face coverings while aboard buses.
“Due to the road geography around most Blue Line stations within the diversion limits, accessible shuttle buses will stop at stations between Bowdoin and Airport in a loop configuration. Buses will travel from Bowdoin to Maverick to Airport to Maverick again to Aquarium to State to Government Center before returning to Bowdoin to repeat the loop,” the MBTA said. “In an effort to save time and expedite trips for essential riders, an express shuttle bus will operate between Airport and Government Center that makes select stops. Customers seeking the express bus should see station personnel and/or station signage for more information and pick-up/drop-off areas.”
Sections of the Blue Line between Bowdoin and Airport stations are scheduled to close again in August for more work on harbor tunnel upgrades, officials said.
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