MBTA to begin Green Line track, signal replacement in October

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in October will start construction on a major Green Line track and signal replacement project, the agency announced earlier this week.

The project calls for installing 25,000 feet of track and 6.5 miles of modernized signal infrastructure along the Green Line's D Branch. The work is expected to continue through December 2020, according to an MBTA news release.

The agency also will replace jointed rail with continuous welded rail, and replace special trackwork between the Beaconsfield and Riverside stations.

The modernized signal system is expected to decrease delays and boost reliability. Moreover, the MBTA will be able to remove current speed restrictions on the D Branch, agency officials said on the project's website.

The agency's contractor Barletta-Fischbach has agreed to work overnight hours on the project to lessen impact on service. However, the agency will use bus shuttles to replace D Branch service at certain points throughout the project.

Barletta-Fischbach's contract is worth $74 million, according to a June presentation to the MBTA's Fiscal Management and Control Board.

"Investing in core infrastructure like track and signals is a major focus of our efforts to restore the MBTA to a state of good repair," said MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramirez.