10-day Red Line shutdown to affect 8 MBTA stations; riders can expect significant delays
A partial Red Line shutdown will affect eight MBTA stations in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville and cause significant delays for riders while repair work is done on the tracks during the 10-day closure.
Red Line service between Alewife and Park Street will be suspended from July 21 through July 30. That means the subway will not be going to Davis, Porter, Harvard, Central, Kendall/MIT or Charles/MGH stations.
Red Line closure
Free shuttle buses will make stops between all affected stations. An express shuttle will be available between Harvard Square and South Station, and the Commuter Rail will be free between Porter Square and North Station.
The city of Cambridge said it expects "heavy travel delays" during the shutdown. The MBTA is also advising riders to give themselves extra time to get to their destination.
"For example, a rider traveling to Park Street from Alewife should budget at least 70 minutes using the shuttle," the T said.
Kavya Patel takes the Red Line into work every day from Alewife and is preparing for her entire commute to be upended.
"It usually takes me 40 minutes to reach downtown. I work at Tufts," Patel said. "I think starting tomorrow it might take me two hours. I don't know. It's terrible."
Why is the Red Line shut down?
The MBTA says it will be conducting "critical and necessary track work" during the closure. Workers will be replacing two dozen concrete "floating slabs" that sit between the tracks and rubber discs that absorb sound and vibration from trains.
The T will also be fully replacing tracks at Central Station, upgrading signals, inspecting tunnels with drones, making improvements to the third rail and power-washing stations in the shutdown area.
The MBTA shut down parts of the Green Line in December for two weeks to replace aging parts. Last month, it closed Symphony Station on the Green Line for nearly three years so it could improve accessibility.
"This work is part of the MBTA's regular, planned renewal and revitalization work, which is ongoing and continuous, ensuring the long-term stability of our infrastructure and preserving the system for future generations of riders," the T said.
