Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

[the wild rover]

Yes. The buses will suffice because the 94 already has good frequencies and friggin' awesome travel times as is to MVP/College Ave. and Davis, and after GLX opens the North region will be subject to a Better Bus revamp which is likely to further proliferate the route options.

Will it matter if bus revamp happens before MVP? Will it need to happen again after or will they just wait until MVP extension is completed before doing it

 

[F-Line to Dudley]

Will it matter if bus revamp happens before MVP? Will it need to happen again after or will they just wait until MVP extension is completed before doing it

Not really, because Boston Ave. is the thoroughfare between both stations for all the routes out of Davis. Obviously the Alewife-MVP-Wellington crosstown radial (and its biiiiig potential ridership) has a MVP build prereq because it's bolted to MA 16 the whole way, and others such as an Arlington Center-to-Malden spanner would be in similar boat. So you may see a couple different pulses in the bus revamp. But the great detanglement of the current routes duplicated by GLX and route proliferation out of the Davis axis doesn't have to wait, so the most meaningful enhancements can happen sooner.

 

[stick n move]

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Thanks for the pics!

 

[Javier]

 

[ryblogs]

I'm kinda amazed at the Medford St Bridge work.

Did the extend the bridge by leaving the original abutment and bridge in place, digging out behind the abutment, and adding a new span? I guess this is easier / cheaper than a complete rebuild? Is that now free-standing abutment nice and "solid"? I've never seen this done before.

 

[RandomWalk]

Yes. They are building a new back span over one Green Line track. The old abutment is being reinforced, but that isn’t complete yet.

School St is getting a similar treatment, which currently involves false-work and most of the stone abutment getting jackhammered away.

 

[Javier]

 

[Javier]

 

[Arlington]

Javier's picture (below) got me thinking: I guess some place has to be the last location to get its retaining wall, and somehow Somerville Junction Park was chosen as
1) Kinda in the middle; capable of handling both Magoun & Ball & Tufts (beyond) and Gilman (inbound side)
2) Had a fairly large, publicly-owned parcel
3) Not a direct station site

View attachment 7982

 

[RandomWalk]

It looks like they’re starting to set up a crane at the School St bridge today

 

[kingofsheeba]

 

[jcunion]

Curious if people know what each of these things are that are marked A, B, and C?

 

[Equilibria]

I believe that from that angle (A) is the Union Square branch viaduct, (B) is the Community Path viaduct, and (C) is the yard access viaduct.

 

[ceo]

(C) is the Medford branch viaduct.

 

[jcunion]

I believe that from that angle (A) is the Union Square branch viaduct, (B) is the Community Path viaduct, and (C) is the yard access viaduct.

Thank you! Dang, that's a high bike path.

 

[RandomWalk]

Good cardio workout.

 

[kjdonovan]

That's why it kept getting value engineered out of various versions of this plan. Whole lot of infrastructure and complex construction for what was considered a nice-to-have. Thank god they kept it. I'll take steep and existing.

 

[Vagabond]

I'll take steep and existing.

Yup - there is absolutely no way it was getting built after the fact.

Update: The October 27 GLX Construction Notice: "The final steel girders on the viaduct were set into place on Oct. 19. This includes 50 spans overall. Crews will continue to pour the concrete decks and parapets through the end of the year on the elevated viaducts supporting both the Green Line trains and the Community Path Extension."

 

[Javier]

 

[Charlie_mta]

Wall on left: graffiti magnet. Wall on right: no graffitti.