Parts of the MBTA’s Blue Line will be out of service for Harbor Tunnel repairs for two weeks starting Monday, with shuttle buses replacing train service between Airport and Government Center stations until May 8.
Bowdoin Station near Beacon Hill will be closed completely, with shuttles stopping at Government Center. State Street Station, a connection to the Orange Line, will be partially closed as well, with shuttles stopping for drop-offs but not pick-ups. Riders can pick up the shuttle about a block away at Government Center.
MBTA officials have said the two-week shut down is meant to accelerate the work, which the MBTA estimated would have taken a year if done during nights and weekends. Construction crews are set to replace 1,800 feet of track, seal leaks, and inspect tunnels and drainage systems.
Advertisement
One goal of the project is to make the Blue Line, a vital transit link to East Boston and Revere, less susceptible to flooding. The tunnel between Aquarium and Maverick stations already floods during storm surges, and the Blue Line is the most susceptible to flooding in the MBTA system, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tulane University.
Gal Tziperman Lotan is a former Globe staff member.