Local News

Blue Line shutdowns to begin at the end of the month

The shutdowns are planned to start on April 25 and run through May 29, according to the MBTA.

John Blanding/Globe Staff/File 2017

By Arianna MacNeill

1 minute to read

Planned shutdowns are coming for portions of the Blue Line beginning April 25 and into May, according to the MBTA.

Between April 25 and May 8, service will be suspended between the Airport and Bowdoin stations due to harbor tunnel repair work. Shuttle buses and ferry service will be provided.

Then, between May 12 and May 29, service will be suspended between Wonderland and the Orient Heights stops as “critical repair work” takes place on the Suffolk Downs pedestrian bridge; shuttle buses again will be running, the transit agency said in a statement.

The Blue Line was originally planned to shut down this month, but was postponed, according to WCVB.

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“The work accomplished during these closures will ultimately lead to better, safer, more reliable service for our Blue Line riders on a faster timeline,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement. “We know these diversions can be an inconvenience, but these service suspensions allow us to expedite critical tunnel and infrastructure work. I want to thank our Blue Line riders for their patience while we accelerate these important projects.”

For the service suspension between Airport and Bowdoin beginning April 25, the shuttle buses will run in a one-way loop between stations. The buses will not stop at Bowdoin, according to the MBTA. Instead, Bowdoin riders will be asked to get on and off the shuttle buses at Government Center. State Street station will be drop-off only, and express buses will not stop at Maverick.

There will also be alternate ferry service from Lewis Mall near Maverick to Long Wharf every 20 minutes between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., and the transit agency said riders can show their CharlieCard or CharlieTicket to boat crews for entry.

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The work during the April 25 to May 8 train stoppage includes the replacement of 1,800 feet of full depth track at a cost of $5 million, among other work, according to the MBTA.

The agency said ridership on the Blue Line is down about 40 percent compared to levels before the pandemic.

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