Construction

Please see details below for current construction projects within the City of Medford. To be sure you receive updates and alerts for upcoming and/or emergency work in your neighborhood, sign up for City Alerts! Visit www.medfordma.org/alerts to sign up or log into your account. Make sure your address is updated in the system to be sure relevant alerts reach you!

Utility Work

Mystic to Woburn Project

Mystic to Woburn Project: This project includes a new underground transmission line that will connect the Mystic Substation in Everett, and the Woburn Substation. The line will extend approximately 8 miles between the two substations and will pass through Everett, Charlestown, Somerville, Medford, Winchester, and Woburn.Work zones in Medford include: Winthrop Street between Winford Way and Playstead Road, South Street between Manning Street and Main Street, and Mystic Avenue between Hancock Street and Columbia Road.

The below map shows locations where work has been completed to date and locations where work will resume in the spring of 2021. A detailed listing of completed and remaining work zone is also included below.

Documents and Materials

National Grid

MWRA

Beginning in July 2021, the MWRA has been doing rehabilitation on manholes throughout the City. Each location is expected to take no longer than one day to complete. Police details will be in place as necessary, however no significant impacts to traffic, residents, or businesses are expected during this work. A full schedule is below

Week of October 18th

Prescott St. @ Cottage St.
Riverside Ave. @ City Hall Mall
Riverside Ave. @ Clippership Dr.
121 Riverside Ave.
175 Riverside Ave.
Riverside Ave. @ Park St.
213 Riverside Ave.
234 Riverside Ave.
254 Riverside Ave.

Week of October 25th

273 Riverside Ave.
291 Riverside Ave.
314 Riverside Ave.
Riverside Ave. @ Spring St.
350 Riverside Ave.
16 Third St.
Cradock Ave. @ Third St.
175 Corporation Way

Road Construction

Safe Routes to Schools / Pedestrian Safety Improvements

Safe Routes to Schools / Pedestrian Safety Improvements

Safe Routes to Schools / Pedestrian Safety Improvements

Safe Routes to Schools projects have the primary goal of making safer routes to schools for children and families. While these projects generally aim to make walking routes safer, the improvements also have positive impacts to vehicle and bicycle traffic safety by slowing travel speeds, creating tighter turn radii, and enhancing lane markings, among other improvements.

Ongoing SRTS projects:

Brooks School
The City received grant funding for this work. Work will begin in April 2021 and is expected to be completed in late Summer 2021. The work area for this project is between the Brooks School and east of Woburn Street. To see the plans for the project, download plans at the following links:

Major improvements through this project include:

Curb extensions/bump-outs: Curb bump outs extend the current sidewalk/curb to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians, and improve sightlines for both drivers and pedestrians. A large curb extension is planned at the High St./Woburn St. area to slow traffic and reduce speeds.
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs): These flashing beacons are similar to traditional pedestrian crossing signals in that they are activated by pushing a button, but UNLIKE traditional crossing signals, RRFBs do not trigger a red light for drivers. Flashing yellow lights will be activated to alert drivers that a pedestrian is crossing. RRFBs are popular pedestrian crossing options at “mid-block crossings,” or intersections located between larger, signalized traffic intersections. They improve driver awareness of when pedestrians are actively crossing.
Bike lanes and Sharrows: A bike lane will be added in the uphill direction, at the top of the hill near Austin Road. In the downhill direction, Sharrows will be added. To accomodate the bike lane, parking on one side of the street will be eliminated.

The Brooks School Safe Routes to School project was initiated as early as 2014, with multiple community meetings. Previous community meetings included the following:

2019 MassDOT meeting in Medford: https://www.mass.gov/event/medford-proposed-improvements-at-the-brooks-elementary-school-a-safe-routes-to-school-project
2020 Medford Traffic Commission Meeting: https://www.medfordma.org/2020/01/13/safe-route-to-school-project-meeting/

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Roberts School
The City has received a grant for this project. Work will begin at a date TBD.

About Green Line Extension

The Green Line Extension (GLX) will extend the northern end of the MBTA’s Green Line from Lechmere to Union Square in Sommerville and College Avenue in Medford. GLX will provide service in areas that historically did not have access to fast and reliable public transit. With an expected increased ridership of more than 50,000 passenger trips per day, this project aims to significantly reduce vehicle trips and related air emissions. The project involves the relocation and reconstruction of Lechmere Station as well as the construction of 6 new Green Line stations along 2 branches.

Contract awarded: November 2017
Budget: $2.3 billion
Status: Under construction

Working Group Members
The City of Medford has representatives working on our behalf as part of the Green Line Extension Working Group. Medford’s representatives are:

Jim Silva: jfsilva@smrto.org
Laurel Ruma: laurel.ruma@gmail.com
Nicole Morell: morellformedford@gmail.com

Green Line Extension Resources

What are some of the project features?

A new Green Line branch on existing Lowell Commuter Rail tracks, from Lechmere to Medford.
A new Green Line branch on existing Fitchburg Commuter Rail tracks, from Lechmere to Union Square in Somerville.
The relocation and reconstruction of Lechmere Station in Cambridge, plus 6 new additional T stations.
A new vehicle storage and maintenance facility.

What are the benefits?

Create additional transportation routes in the Medford and Somerville neighborhoods
Reduce the number of vehicles on local roads to improve traffic concerns
Support municipal plans for sustainability and urban redevelopment
A commitment to universal access, with new stations that will meet or exceed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
Operation in existing railroad rights-of-way, reducing the need to purchase local property and minimizing construction impacts.
Mitigation measures that will reduce existing noise and vibration impacts from area railroads.

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Contact Information

GLX HOTLINE: For any questions or concerns (for example about noise, lights, dust – things that need immediate attention), email info@glxinfo.com, or call the 24/7 project hotline: 1-855-GLX-INFO. Dangerous conditions or injuries that require fire, ambulance or police- please call 911.
MBTA Accessibility: 617-337-2756, howtotravel@mbta.com

Upcoming Work

Night and weekend work for the coming week is expected to continue in a similar fashion to what transpired during the past week.

While the work hours may be sporadic at times, notable upcoming night work includes:

Upcoming Night Work (10/7 – 10/13)

Expect fence installation, wall panel placement, and completion of the overhead catenary system to continue. The work has been scheduled at night because the contractor is unable to access the tracks during the day when the commuter rails are in use. This schedule may change based on when track outages are available. Also, retaining wall and noise wall panel installation may continue during this period depending on panel availability and ability to get track time.

In addition to wall panel placement, signal and electrical work is expected in and around various GLX station platforms. This work is usually quieter than wall panel placement as it does not generally require the use of heavy machinery.

The project team will make every effort to keep abutting neighborhoods apprised of upcoming nightwork through regular email contact. Check for regular construction updates at www.mass.gov/glx.

For more information, please visit www.Mass.gov/GLX.
Questions? Email at info@glxinfo.com.
Urgent issue? Call our construction hotline at (855) 459-4636 or (855-GLX-INFO).