This rendering of the proposed station at the Eastern Avenue
parking garage will be unique in that it will use arches
and will protect Silver Line passengers from the elements.
The stop will be one of four stops in Chelsea, according to
officials speaking at a public hearing on April 1.
During an April 1 meeting at City Hall, state transportation officials presented residents with conceptual plans and renderings for the Silver Line stations and bus route coming to Chelsea.
The colorful, detailed pictures generated considerable enthusiasm among the capacity crowd in the Council Chambers, but the most significant announcement concerned the Washington Avenue bridge closure timeline.
According to Transportation Planner Frank Astone, the originally projected 18-month complete closure of the bridge during reconstruction has been reduced to approximately 8-10 months.
This reduction resulted from discussions with Washington Avenue residents and Fire Department officials, who had expressed concerns about how a full closure would affect their operations and daily activities.
“fblikebutton_button” Astone explained the challenge: “wp-caption alignright” “The main thing that was going to take so long was that there are a lot of utilities on that bridge that have to be relocated. However, the bridge is actually going to be closed about eight to 10 months. After a meeting with residents, we’ve decided to get all the utilities removed to the extent possible before shutting down the bridge completely…Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve taken a hard look at whether we could move these utilities before closing the bridge. We believe we can.” “wp-caption-text”
City Manager Jay Ash and Fire Department leadership welcomed this development, as they had been concerned about emergency response capabilities for the northern sections of the city. Washington Avenue serves as a critical route for traffic throughout western Chelsea and Prattville.
Following the initial closure phase, construction will enter a second phase featuring one open lane and one closed lane. Current plans call for southbound traffic to accommodate the Rt. 111 bus, though city and fire officials continue advocating for northbound access instead.
Bridge crossings by pedestrians will remain available throughout all construction phases.
Additional road work will include periodic closures of Heard Street during retaining wall reconstruction along the new Silver Line route.
Astone noted: “We will have to underpin a building over there. We’ll close Heard Street on a weekend here or a week there – not a long time – but there will be construction that will force us to have to close Heard Street.”
The public meeting was required by state law, as the project has reached the 25-45 percent design phase, which triggers mandatory public review.
State officials indicated Phase 1 advertising would begin in July, with construction anticipated to start in Spring 2015. Phase 2 construction is expected to commence in fall 2015, with some overlap with Phase 1 activities.
The complete project carries a $65 million budget and is projected to take three years for both phases.
John Pavao, the state’s project manager, explained the initiative’s purpose: “The idea of all this is to provide Chelsea with direct access to South Station, Logan Airport and the Seaport District. The busway will be 30 feet wide, two 12-foot lanes, and an exclusive shared space walking path. This extension will go all the way to the Mystic Mall.”
Pavao added that environmental permitting remains ongoing, with the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) filed on March 31.
Phase 1 encompasses construction of the new Silver Line roadway, three of four Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations, and replacement of the Washington Avenue bridge.
The three initial stations will be positioned at Eastern Avenue (parking garage), the Box District, and the Mystic Mall (adjacent to the current railroad track crossing and beside Market Basket).
Phase 2, managed primarily by the MBTA, will include a new Commuter Rail Station beside the Mystic Mall BRT station behind Market Basket, creating an integrated transportation hub connecting regular buses, the Silver Line, and Commuter Rail. Following the new Commuter Station’s completion, the MBTA will retire the existing station and construct the final BRT station at downtown Chelsea beneath the Washington Avenue bridge, featuring a handicapped-accessible walking path connecting to Washington Avenue/Bellingham Square.
This phased approach was adopted to maintain uninterrupted commuter rail service throughout the project.
Astone stated: “One commitment we have during the entire project is not to disrupt commuter rail service to Chelsea. That’s why we will not decommission the existing station until the new commuter rail station at the Mystic Mall is fully operational.”
Beyond bicycle racks, fare machines at each stop, and the new shared-use walking path, Astone noted the design team takes particular pride in the station designs, which are distinctive to this Silver Line branch.
He added: “There is no other place on the MBTA system that uses this kind of structure. This actually has a overhang that extends over the bus so that in bad weather you can still be protected from the elements when you step out to get on the bus.”
Project completion is targeted for 2018, with officials continuing to accept public input and scheduling additional public meetings throughout the year.