BOSTON – In the latest headache for Massachusetts commuters, part of the MBTA’s Red Line has shut down for several weeks starting on Friday.
24 days of track work
The closure affects stops between JFK/UMass and Braintree and will last 24 days. The MBTA said the goal is to repair 18 miles of track, which will remove 20 speed restrictions. The goal is to cut round trip travel times by about 24 minutes.
“The work to take place on the Braintree branch in September is unprecedented but long needed,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said in an earlier statement. “The MBTA is committed to not only restoring our system to deliver safe and reliable service, but we are focused on building it back better. While each of these critical but necessary closures impacts your travels in the short term, the public will gain long-term benefits.”