The Symphony Station accessibility project will begin on June 6. It will bring major upgrades to the MBTA Green Line E branch stop. The 85-year-old station will close for 35 months while crews install four elevators and complete other station upgrades. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Symphony Station accessibility project closes MBTA stop
Inside the Symphony Station.

During the closure, Green Line trains will bypass Symphony in both directions while construction takes place. The MBTA says normal Green Line service will continue at all other stations on the E branch.

Symphony Station accessibility project timeline

The Symphony Station Accessibility Improvements Project has been in development for several years. Its design contract was awarded in 2019. Design work was completed in 2023. Since spring 2023, utility relocation has been underway around the Massachusetts Avenue and Huntington Avenue intersection. Excavation work has taken place at four locations to make room for the planned elevators and stairway areas.

The MBTA says the current budget for utility relocation is about $20 million. Station renovation work is budgeted at $150.8 million. In addition, the project is funded in part by more than $66.6 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s All Stations Accessibility Program.

“Thank you to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and our legislative partners for their continued focus on transportation projects such as Symphony Station that will improve the quality of life for communities and the public we serve,” said Massachusetts Department of Transportation Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “I’m proud of our MBTA team, including our Grants team that successfully pursued $66.6 million in federal funds for this project. It is the partnerships that we have with the FTA, local stakeholders and community groups that make projects like this possible. We know that construction and temporary closures of the station affect our riders, but when finished, Symphony Station will be a bright, modernized, and fully accessible station that all can be proud of for generations to come.”

Step-free access and station upgrades

The agency says Symphony Station currently has no step-free routes from its entrances to the platforms. At the same time, it remains inaccessible to people using wheeled mobility devices.

When construction is complete in spring 2029, Symphony Station is expected to have raised platforms for easier boarding. It is also expected to have accessible bathrooms, improved wayfinding, more lighting and upgraded safety features.

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