Significant portion of MBTA Green Line shuts down for 9 days

Last month it was MBTA Red Line riders, and now Green Line commuters will have to deal with a shutdown. A big part of the line will be closed starting Saturday for more than a week.

MBTA data estimates roughly 125,000 people ride the Green Line on any given weekday. This closure will impact nearly everyone who relies on it to get to where they're going.

Significant portions of the line are set to close for nine days starting Saturday. The entire downtown stretch from North Station to Kenmore will shut down along with the rest of the "C" and "E" branches and part of the "B" branch to Babcock Street.

"I feel like it's always hard when it's during the summer," said Green Line rider Mary Kate Hearn. "There are things to do, and I feel like they always do the construction now, which makes it hard."

The MBTA says its work will focus on two things: replacing the over 100-year-old signal system throughout the downtown stretch and accessibility at the above-ground stations.

"It's all about that passenger experience and obviously making the system accessible for all of our riders so that they have transportation options to get around," said MBTA Chief Operating Officer Ryan Coholan.

It was just last month that the MBTA closed half of the Red Line for 10 days for track work. Once it reopened, commuters complained of stalled trains and increased travel times.

Paige Dong rides the Green Line into work every day. She's used to finding a creative commute when these things happen, but she is understanding of a system frequently under construction.

"It's five days of my week that I have to change my schedule," Dong said. "But in the long run, if there are actual improvements going on, I am fine to do it."

The MBTA is offering shuttle buses for riders and recommends using the Orange Line to get through downtown.