BOSTON – A structural problem with the state center parking garage creates problems for the MBTA and affects traffic in the area.
On Thursday afternoon, HYM, the contractor who demolished the Government Center garage, informed MBTA that the supporting column of the garage in the MBTA tunnel had seriously deteriorated.
HYM said the column was compromised by water damage, not the result of ongoing construction work in the garage.
“An underground column near the green and orange lines has been identified as compromised by years of water damage,” a statement from HYM said. “The condition of this column is not related to the work of demolishing the garage of the Government Center.”
MBTA general manager Steve Poftak denied the allegation, blaming the construction company.
“This interruption of services as a result of the HYM project is unacceptable and MBTA will seek to hold HYM Construction responsible for all costs associated with this event,” Poftak said. “The safety of riders is our top priority and, unfortunately, as a result of this private country’s project, we have to divert trains until the tunnels can be inspected and cleared by independent experts.”
MBTA announced during a commute to work on Thursday night that the Green Line service is being replaced by buses between the Government Center and Lechmere.
The Orange line is stopped between North Station and Back Bay.
A confused crowd was utterly fed up with the recent failure of public transportation in Boston.
“Look at this. We’re lost, we have nowhere to go,” said one man. “We don’t even know how to go home. I’ve been working all day. I’m tired, I want to go home!”
The riders of the orange and green lines were on the wrong tour of the city, desperately looking for a direction.
“We went from Chinatown to downtown, then from downtown everyone was confused,” said another rider at the Government Center. “We walked from downtown to the state, from state to here. We’re here now, on a shuttle bus.”
Boston police said many streets in the area were also closed due to structural problems. Parts of Congress Street, Surface Road, New Chardon Street and Sudbury Street will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians.
Police say the closures and patrols will remain in effect until further notice.
The Orange Line Service runs between Oak Grove and North Station and between Forest Hills and Back Bay. Customers can use the Green Line service through Downtown.
Mayor Michel Wu said the city will work with the MBTA to support shuttle diversions.
“Tonight, the city of Boston took precautionary measures to close streets around the state center garage, while the garage owner and MBTA performed additional structural analysis of a deteriorating support column found today under the garage,” Wu said.
The service of the green and orange line was interrupted in March due to a collapse in the garage of the Government Center. More than a week after the crash, engineers said it was safe to resume service.
Staff at CBBoston.com
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