Construction Update - June 4, 2020

Suffolk Construction, the contractor for the South Station Air Rights Project, will continue daytime and overnight construction at South Station. Daytime construction to create replacement Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street access ramps, as well as the closing of the outdoor ramp connecting Platform A to the bus terminal are necessary to establish the project construction zones. Overnight signal conduit work will also be performed on Tracks 3 & 4. (Tracks 1 & 2 were completed last week). 

Upcoming Activity in Atlantic Avenue Area

• Construction of a new ramp on Atlantic Avenue, which will replace the existing ramp, is scheduled to be completed next week. Once this replacement ramp is in place, the existing Atlantic Avenue switchback ramp will be closed to expand the construction zone. Access to and from South Station from Atlantic Avenue will be maintained by the new, replacement ramp.

• Suffolk Construction has closed the outdoor switchback ramp that provides access to and from Platform A (adjacent to Track 1), near the South Station Bus Terminal. Closing the outdoor ramp is necessary for the contractor to finish establishing the Atlantic Avenue construction zone. Access will be maintained to and from Platform A through an existing ramp in the South Station Bus Terminal.

• During the next few weeks, passersby may notice demolition work near the entrance to South Station on Atlantic Avenue, including the demolition of the now-closed bike cage. Pedestrian travel will be maintained at all times and clearly delineated.

Upcoming Activity in Summer Street Area

Construction to establish a new ramp from Summer Street to South Station will begin next week. Pedestrian access to the doors entering and exiting the South Station headhouse toward the plaza area will be maintained at all times during this construction.

Upcoming Activity Near Track 13/Post Office

• Overnight work near Platform H, adjacent to Track 13, has been completed to establish a construction zone in that area. 

• In the next few weeks, riders may notice the demolition of the canopy adjacent to Track 13, within the construction zone. Actual demolition work will be completed at night during Track 13 track outages.

Upcoming Activity on Platforms

A new Keolis dispatch trailer structure will be installed this week, adjacent to Track 10 beside the loading dock. Once the new trailer is in place, the existing trailer, currently located at the end of Tracks 1 & 2, will be removed.

Construction Continues on South Station Air Rights Project

Suffolk Construction, the contractor for the South Station Air Rights Project, will be continuing daytime construction at the station, the Summer Street plaza, and the Atlantic Avenue construction zone over the next several weeks.  Nighttime work will include the installation of electrical conduits within the tracks for signalization and the demolition of the canopy at Platform H (adjacent to Track 13) on the east side of the station.

Atlantic Avenue Ramp Replacement

Beginning the week of May 25, Suffolk Construction will begin building a new ramp on Atlantic Avenue, adjacent to the current ramp.  Once this replacement ramp is in place, the existing Atlantic Avenue ramp will be closed in order to expand the construction zone.  The closure will occur during the week of June 1.  Access to and from South Station will be maintained by this replacement ramp.

Location of new ramp, facing Atlantic Avenue

Outdoor Ramp Next to Bus Terminal Closing

During the week of June 1, Suffolk Construction will close the outdoor ramp that provides access to and from Platform A (adjacent to Track 1), near the South Station Bus Terminal. 

Access will be maintained to and from Platform A through an existing ramp in the South Station Bus Terminal. To access the alternate ramp from Platform A, continue down Platform A toward the bus terminal and enter right into the first terminal doors. At the end of the alternate ramp, continue straight and turn left to exit through the double doors onto Atlantic Avenue.

Location of bus terminal ramp, from Track 1

To access the replacement ramp from Atlantic Avenue, take a right at the entrance of the current switchback ramp and enter the South Station bus terminal through the first set of double doors. Once inside the bus terminal, take a right and enter the alternate ramp to Platform A.

Reminder: Pedestrian Travel Change Next to Track 13 beginning May 25

Beginning May 25, passengers will no longer have direct access to Track 13 from the alley between South Station and the Post Office, as this will be part of the construction zone.  If you are a passenger who will be using the sidewalk from Dorchester Avenue to the rail platform, you will need to use the newly painted crosswalk to enter the station (near the end of Tracks 11 and 12).

South Station Air Rights Project Construction Anticipated to Restart on May 18

Work on the South Station Air Rights Project is planned to resume on May 18.  Once the schedule impacts of the COVID-19 delays can be determined, a new construction timeline will be established.

Please note that Suffolk Construction, the contractor for the South Station Air Rights Project, and its subcontractors will be maintaining full compliance with the City of Boston’s COVID-19 Safety Policies to ensure the safety of not only work crews but members of the traveling public.

New Construction Zone to be Established

Beginning on May 18, Suffolk Construction will begin establishing a construction zone adjacent to Track 13.  The contractor recently installed a new sidewalk for pedestrians to access the train platforms directly from Dorchester Avenue, providing a more direct connection for those rail passengers looking to access the Fort Point Channel area.  

If you are a passenger who will be using the sidewalk from Dorchester Avenue to the rail platform, you will need to use the newly painted crosswalk to enter the station (near the end of Tracks 11 and 12). Beginning Monday, May 25, passengers will no longer have direct access to Track 13 from the alley between South Station and the Post Office, as this will be part of the construction zone.

New sidewalk from Dorchester Avenue to South Station, adjacent to the U.S. Post Office entrance (left)

New crosswalk between South Station and US Post Office (view towards the alley)

Work along Atlantic Avenue Continues

The contractor is continuing to perform work in the Atlantic Avenue construction zone.

Construction Paused and Bike Storage Relocation

Construction Pausing on South Station Air Rights Project due to Coronavirus

On March 16, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh ordered construction projects in the City to be shut down for at least the next two weeks in response to the coronavirus outbreak.  The South Station Air Rights project team will take every measure necessary as designated by the Mayor and Governor. This is a time when many individuals and businesses must make sacrifices for the safety of our community, and we will do our part.  We will continue to provide updates on the project and announce when construction resumes.

Bike Facility Closing on Friday, March 27

In anticipation of construction resuming, the MBTA Pedal and Park facility located on Atlantic Avenue will be closing at noon on Friday, March 27, 2020.   New bicycle racks are currently available near the existing Blue Bikes facility, along the east side of Atlantic Avenue, adjacent to South Station. In the spring, a new Pedal and Park facility will be open in a nearby location.  A notice will be sent once that facility is open.

Once construction is complete, the new bike storage facility will be located in the expanded South Station Transportation Center, accessible from the Atlantic Avenue sidewalk just south of the entrance to the train station.

All bicycles in the existing Pedal and Park facility on Atlantic Avenue must be removed by noon on Friday, March 27.  If a bike is removed, the owner would need to contact the Transit Police at 617-222-1212. Owners will have 30 days to retrieve their bikes.

Track 13 and Upcoming Construction Activity

Track 13 Changes

Beginning March 2, through the completion of South Station Transportation Center Improvement Project, all trains boarding on Track 13 will be accessible only on the west side of the platform, closest to Track 12. The east side of the platform, closest to the Post Office, will be closed as part of the construction zone.

Upcoming Construction Activity

This week, a fenced-in work zone will be put in place between 245 Summer Street and South Station.  Within the work zone, patio pavers and benches will be removed, stored, and reinstalled once the project has been completed.  Access through the plaza will be maintained. 

The existing MBTA bus shelter at the Summer Street at South Station stop will be removed to allow for a new South Station pedestrian ramp to be constructed.  The bus stop will remain active.  The construction of the ramp is scheduled to take approximately two weeks to complete. 

For more information:

• Visit the project website, www.southstationairrights.com

• If you have questions, please email the project team: team@southstationairrights.com

Construction Activity Commences on Atlantic Avenue Next Week

Next week, Suffolk Construction, the contractor for the South Station Air Rights Project, will begin establishing a construction zone on Atlantic Avenue.  To establish this zone, the contractor will begin making curb cuts along Atlantic Avenue, which will involve temporary travel lane closures during off-peak hours (between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM).  This will be the first activity for Stage 1 of construction for the South Station Air Rights Project.

During the process of making the curb cuts, the contractor will displace the cab parking in the curb cut zones, leaving approximately four spaces at the entrance to the station.  This work should take about five days to complete and will not occur over the weekend.  After the curb cuts are complete, the cab stand by the Atlantic Avenue entrance to South Station will be split into two areas to accommodate access to the construction zone throughout the project.  Signs indicating the new curb use will be posted on Atlantic Avenue.

Access to the South Station train platforms through the Atlantic Avenue entrance will be maintained during construction.

For more information:

• Visit the project website, www.southstationairrights.com

• If you have questions, please email the project team: team@southstationairrights.com

 The schedule for this infrastructure project is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.

South Station Team Presents Project Details at Open House

Thank you to everyone who attended the South Station Transportation Center Open House on Wednesday evening.  Hines, in partnership with the Boston Planning and Redevelopment Authority (BPDA), and the MBTA, hosted the Open House where project team members were able to present details about the project, impacts and benefits to South Station users, and construction details.

The Open House featured four stations:

• Station 1 - Project Overview: Participants could view a presentation on the history of South Station and learn more about the various changes the South Station Air Rights project will bring to commuters and residents.

• Station 2 - Transit Patron Benefits:  Boards with renderings of the completed South Station Transportation Center showed participants how the project will benefit South Station users.

• Station 3 - Temporary Impacts:  Participants were able to see blueprints showing the construction zone plans, and learned from project team members how construction may temporarily affect their use of South Station.

• Station 4 – Construction: An animation showed a month-by-month rendering of the project’s construction phasing, which includes the creation of the tower construction zone, the bus garage overbuild, and tower construction.
  

Members of the project team describe construction impacts to South Station commuters

Attendees examine informational boards, outlining the construction impacts.

For those who were not able to attend the meeting in person, the project slideshow (Station 1) and meeting boards (Stations 2-4) are available.

Open House on January 22, 2020

Wednesday , January 22, 2020
4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
BSA Space, Fort Point Room (2nd Floor)
290 Congress Street, Boston, Ma

Stop in anytime between 4:30 and 6:30 PM to learn more about impacts and benefits to South Station users and speak with members of the project team.

We are committed to keeping members of the public, users of South Station, and community stakeholders continually informed throughout the project with a robust outreach program. Public meetings will continue to be scheduled as the project advances, and you can share your questions and comments with the project team anytime to team@southstationairrights.com.

Download a meeting flyer in English, Spanish (Español), Portuguese (Português), French (Français), Chinese - Simplified (汉语), Chinese - Traditional (漢語), Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt), and Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen).

The meeting is accessible to people with disabilities and those with limited proficiency in English. To request reasonable accommodation and/or language services, please email team@southstationairrights.com by January 16.

Check Back Soon for a Public Meeting Announcement.

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