Commuter alert: Full closure of Green Line B branch will coincide with shutdown of Sumner Tunnel

Frank O'Laughlin
·2 min read
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The MBTA on Thursday announced that service on the Green Line’s B branch will be taken offline for a 12-day stretch in July, a major closure that happens to coincide with the complete shutdown of Boston’s Sumner Tunnel.

B branch service from Kenmore station to Boston College station will be suspended from Monday, July 17, through Friday, July 28, to allow for the replacement of over 2,000 feet of track, as well as duct banks and underground conduits, according to the T. Crews will also repaint pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, and platform edges along the branch.

During the closure, shuttle buses will replace trains as crews perform a full-depth replacement of the track at Packard’s Corner Station as well as from Harvard Avenue to Allston Street Stations, the T said.

“I made a commitment to the public when I accepted this responsibility to restore safety and reliability,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said in a statement. “The recent derailment is a stark reminder that we have work to do, and accelerating this work when schools are out is the best way to address a long-standing issue. This 12-day full access closure allows us to implement track renewal safely and most efficiently along the Green Line’s B Branch, and most importantly, improve service.”

How will you be affected? Summer traffic nightmare looms as full closure of Boston tunnel approaches

The branch closure is set to come just days after the Massachusetts Department of Transportation implements a 24/7 closure of the Sumner Tunnel for necessary repair work.

On July 5, the day after Independence Day, the tunnel will be closed to traffic through Aug. 31.

The tunnel, situated between East Boston and the North End, takes drivers from Logan Airport to I-93 in Boston and points north. During the closure, traffic will be diverted through other signed detour routes.

Free Blue Line rides, new ferry service, other travel options when Sumner Tunnel closes for summer

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