With customers’ safety a top priority and to complete the project on time, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced that Wollaston Station will close to Red Line customers for approximately twenty months beginning Tuesday, January 2, 2018, as part of the Wollaston Station Improvements Project. During the closure, Red Line trains will continue passing through Wollaston Station without stopping. The T will also be operating shuttle bus service to transport customers between Wollaston and North Quincy Station in an effort to allow continuous use of Wollaston Station’s remaining parking during the construction project.
In addition, to support the most efficient completion of the project, beginning Sunday, November 12, 2017, Red Line service on Sundays through Thursdays between North Quincy and Braintree Stations will be replaced with shuttle buses from 9 p.m. through the end of service.
The parking lot at Wollaston will remain open during the station closure, though the total number of parking spots will be reduced from 538 to 423. Customers who are unable to park at Wollaston are encouraged to instead park at the North Quincy Station overflow lot along Newport Avenue.
Beginning in February 2018, Saturday and Sunday Red Line service between North Quincy and Braintree Stations will also be replaced with shuttle buses during eighteen weekends over the course of approximately twenty-four months.
Major accessibility improvements, state-of-the-art safety features, and rectifying ongoing drainage and flooding issues within the station are some of the improvements to be made during the project renovating Wollaston Station. Currently the only non ADA-accessible station on the Red Line, Wollaston will be transformed into a modern, fully accessible facility, making the entirety of the Red Line 100-percent accessible. Additional upgrades to the station include brand new elevators, additional customer paths, upgraded stairways, new bathrooms, and additional lighting. New electrical, fire protection, security, flooding mitigation, and site utility upgrades will also occur to support the accessible improvements. The estimated construction value of the Wollaston Station Improvements is $33 million.
The MBTA will also host a public meeting on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. at the Quincy Central Middle School Auditorium where MBTA staff will be available to answer questions regarding the project.
The MBTA has already committed $911 million to Red Line South Side projects, including 252 new Red Line cars that will begin full revenue service in November 2019. The renovations at Wollaston Station are a major part of a series of signal, rail, and other infrastructure upgrades along the Red Line. Previous MBTA successes in renovation construction with station shutdowns include Government Center, Orient Heights, and Science Park Stations.
