T Extends Dorchester Ave. Bridge Closure ‘Til November

Map of detour routes around the Dorchester Ave. bridge closure planned for mid-June through the end of August. Bikes and pedestrians are being instructed to use Boston Avenue, which runs one block west of Dorchester Avenue and re-joins Dorchester Avenue in Andrew Square.
Recommended bike and pedestrian detour routes for this summer's bridge closure on Dorchester Ave. Courtesy of the MBTA.

UPDATE: On Friday, August 26, the MBTA announced that its Dorchester Avenue bridge closure would be extended late into the fall, and that the bridge won’t reopen until November 7th. The bridge had previously been scheduled to reopen on Sept. 1. This story was updated on Tuesday, August 30 to reflect the postponed opening date.

A section of Dorchester Avenue, a major bike and pedestrian connection between Dorchester and South Boston, will be closed due to bridge work between Von Hillern and Kemp Streets this summer.

In order to prepare for its replacement next year, the MBTA will close the Dorchester Avenue Bridge over its Red Line and Old Colony commuter rail tracks to all traffic from June 13 to August 31, 2022 November 6.

The last time this bridge was rehabilitated was 47 years ago, in 1975. Crews will do a range of preparation work during the closure, including driving piles that will support the future bridge and replacing the Red Line tunnel roof, according to an MBTA press release.

The press release also warned that riders of the Red Line and  Commuter Rail should also expect disruption to service “on select weekends in the future, with more information on alternate services provided to riders soon.”

The T is recommending that bike riders and pedestrians use Boston Avenue to get around the bridge closure.

A detailed close-up of detour routes around the Dorchester Ave. bridge closure planned for mid-June through the end of August. Bikes and pedestrians are being instructed to use Boston Avenue, which runs one block west of Dorchester Ave. People riding bikes north towards Andrew Square should use Bellflower Street, which runs one-way from Dorchester Ave. to Boston St.; people riding south from Andrew to Dorchester will use Dorset St., which runs in the opposite direction from Boston St. to Dot Ave.
One-way streets in the MTBA’s recommended bike detour around the Dorchester Ave. bridge closure.

The T’s recommended bike detour routes use each one-way neighborhood streets. Coming from the north, folks on bikes can use Dorset St to connect from Boston St. to Dorchester Ave; coming from the south into the city, folks can use Bellflower St. to connect from Dorchester Ave. to Boston St. (see map above).

The replacement bridge, which is scheduled to be installed in 2023, will not include a physically separated bike lane, according to an MBTA spokesperson, but it will provide a painted bike lane.

“The painted option was chosen for this project due to the relatively short length of the bridge being replaced, and considering the limitations of the space needed to transition into and to terminate a physically separated bicycle lane within the project limits,” wrote an MBTA spokesperson in an email to StreetsblogMASS. “However, this does not prevent future improvements to be implemented should the City of Boston consider making changes to the Dorchester Ave. corridor.”

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

A crowd of people in bikes pedals through a wide brick plaza. In the center, wearing a black helmet and blue hoodie, is Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

PHOTOS: Boston’s 2023 Bike To Work Day

By Christian MilNeil |
Between 7:30 and 8:45 a.m., convoys of riders coming in from Mattapan, Dorchester, Brookline, Cambridge, Malden, Chelsea, and other cities across the region arrived in City Hall Plaza in waves, while City of Boston Transportation Department staff welcomed them with cowbells and cheers.
Bar chart illustrating monthly bus driver active headcounts and vacancies since January. The number of vacancies increased slightly in the months Jan. to March but decreased slightly in May.

MBTA News Briefs: Finally Some Better News on Bus Driver Hiring

By Christian MilNeil |
The MBTA’s three board committees met on Thursday morning with three newly-appointed members to discuss its new 5-year capital plan, hiring updates, and meet the MassDOT’s newly-hired Chief Safety Officer. Incentives for new bus drivers get traction For the past several months, the board’s Workforce Committee has been getting regular updates on hiring efforts, with […]
The gold-plated dome of the Massachusetts State House against a blue sky, with the Massachusetts flag flying to the right of the dome in the foreground.

State House Transportation Committee Discusses Bills Regarding East-West Rail, T Oversight

By Christian MilNeil |
The legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation hosted a hybrid in-person and virtual public hearing on Monday afternoon to discuss several bills related to transit expansion projects, East-West rail, and MBTA oversight. You can find hearing details – including information about  how to attend in person or submit testimony virtually – at the Massachusetts Legislature’s website. […]