The MBTA is closing a Green Line station for 3 years. Riders want to know why construction will take so long.
The MBTA is preparing to close a Green Line station in Boston for nearly three years, starting June 6.
Trains on the E branch will bypass Symphony Station for 35 months while construction for "major accessibility improvements" takes place.
The MBTA says the station is 85 years old and people who use wheelchairs can't access trains from that stop. The construction will add four new elevators, raised platforms to allow for easier bathrooms, accessible bathrooms and other safety features.
"We know that construction and temporary closures of the station affect our riders, but when finished, Symphony Station will be a bright, modernized, and fully accessible station that all can be proud of for generations to come," MBTA General Manager Phil Eng said in a statement.
"3 years is nuts"
The T announced the closure on social media, and plenty of riders were surprised by just how long construction will last.
"I am as pro-MBTA as it gets but It really shouldn't take 3 years to do," one Facebook user commented.
"If it's being closed completely, why can't they bang this out in 6 months," another asked.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, one person wrote, "3 years is nuts."
"We built the Empire State Building in 13 months, but okay," another commented.
Others online were more understanding.
"Glad to hear about improvements," a rider said. "I use that station regularly and the stairwell coming up out of the station is frightening. The stairs are an accident waiting to happen."
Members of the public who have questions about the $170 million project can attend a MBTA meeting on May 18 at Symphony Towers in the community room, or sign up virtually.
Alternatives for MBTA riders
During the three-year closure, riders who usually get on or off the T at Symphony can instead go to stops at Northeastern University or Prudential, which are both about a five-minute walk away.
The Massachusetts Avenue Orange Line stop is another option, just a tenth of a mile away.
There's also a bus nearby, with Route 39 running parallel to the E branch along Huntington Avenue.
Symphony is scheduled to reopen sometime in the summer of 2029.
