MBTA to open new Dorchester Avenue Bridge next week

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) this week announced that its newly replaced Dorchester Avenue Bridge in Boston will open Sept. 23.

Located between Von Hillern and Kemp streets, the bridge will carry pedestrians, motor vehicles and cars over the MBTA Red Line, as well as the Old Colony Commuter Rail and the Cabot Yard maintenance tracks. 

The $34.million bridge replacement project began in 2022. The bridge itself and the Red Line tunnel roof were completely replaced, and the Von Hillern Street retaining wall was rehabilitated. The original bridge was built in 1925 and previously rehabilitated in 1975, according to an MBTA press release.

Meanwhile, the MBTA reported a 40% increase in sales of its $10 weekend commuter-rail pass compared to 2023; over 230,000 passes were sold between Memorial Day and Labor Day this year. This coincided with a 16% increase in overall summer transit ridership and a 6% increase in ridership on the Cape Flyer, a summer weekend train service between Boston and Cape Cod, MBTA officials said.