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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) broke ground June 7 for the $15.9 million Talbot Commuter Rail Station with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino in attendance.
The Talbot Avenue Station is the third of four MBTA commuter rail stations under construction as part of the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line Rehabilitation Project. Construction will include high level platforms, canopies, passenger shelters, benches and windscreens, and electronic message signs. Sidewalks adjacent to the station will also be reconstructed with wheelchair ramps at major intersections. The station also will be equipped with closed circuit television video surveillance cameras, police emergency call box systems, public telephones, and an off street drop-off/pick-up area.
“The Fairmount Line investments are creating jobs and improving transportation options for residents across the community,” the governor said. “This is a smart investment that will pay off for decades to come.”
Later this year, MBTA will replace the Talbot Avenue and Woodrow Avenue railroad bridges in conjunction with the Talbot
Avenue Station project.
The replacement process will follow the fast-track method: the new bridges will be built on site and, following demolition of the existing structures, will be installed over one weekend each, to minimize disruption to the rail service.
The 9.2-mile Fairmount Commuter Rail Line runs from South Station through Dorchester and Hyde Park, terminating at the Readville Station. It is the only MBTA commuter rail line that exclusively serves the city of Boston.
Earlier, MBTA marked the completion of modernization efforts at its State Street Station on the Blue Line. This project incorporates two new fully accessible entrances and allows for a seamless connection between the Blue and Orange rail lines.
The project required relocation of all existing street utilities, demolition of abandoned city foundations, and the construction of 300 more feet of station tunnel. Additional work includes the lengthening of platforms to accommodate six-car trains.
“Modernization to State Street Station represents our continued commitment to provide people of all abilities access to public transportation that is direct and user-friendly," said MBTA General Manager Richard A. Davey.
Approximately 12,500 customers travel through State Street Station each weekday. Reconstruction and beautification improvements to the streetscape continue, with completion slated for November 2011. |
