The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has begun demolition of the Lechmere Viaduct between the Gilmore Bridge and the existing Lechmere Station in East Cambridge.
The work will further advance the relocation and reconstruction of the new Lechmere Station now underway as part of the Green Line Extension project (GLX). The project, scheduled for completion in December 2021, will extend Green Line service from the new Lechmere Station along two new branches to Union Square in Somerville and to College Avenue/Tufts University in Medford.
Demolition work began June 6 and will continue for approximately two weeks, followed by overnight work. During weekend work, vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic will be detoured around the work area. During the following two weeks, traffic detours will not be in place on weekdays, though lane closures may occur. Through close collaboration with Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s District 6 Highway Division and the city of Cambridge, GLX has prepared a comprehensive transportation management plan, which includes detailed police officers and defined detours for truck and vehicular traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists. This plan is designed to change as work zones are moved day-to-day along the alignment.
Work that took place this past weekend required diverting northbound/outbound traffic and primarily involved the installation of safety barriers to prevent debris from falling outside of designated work zones.
Following the weekend preparation work, the elevated deck structure will be sawcut into sections and lifted out of the work area by crane to reduce vibration and dust impacts to nearby buildings. The hours of operation for demolition activity are 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, seven days a week, with demolition expected to last approximately two weeks. While this work will be ongoing during weekdays, lanes of traffic may be closed, but traffic will not be detoured.
Overnight work will follow and is expected to include cleanup and staging in preparation for further demolition activities the following day. Upon completion of this upcoming demolition work, the process for reconstructing the viaduct will continue through the summer.
