Charles/MGH work chugging along
 The Charles/MGH T station is now scheduled for completion sometime in November, an MBTA spokesman said. The work was orginally slated to be finished by May. (Globe Staff Photo / Dominic Chavez) |
The renovation of the MBTA's Charles/MGH station on the Red Line feels like it has been happening since before the Curse was reversed. Riders want to know when it's going to be done.
Phyllis of parts unknown wrote, ''What's the story with the Charles Street Station renovation? When will it be finished? And why no elevator? Can it be that hard to put one in on either side? This station serves three hospitals. And what about the 'take your life in your hands' walk to the station while you pray that the cars coming off the Longfellow Bridge or Storrow Drive feel like stopping when there are no police around (which is most of the time).
''I find I take the T less than ever because that station has become such a hassle," she wrote. ''I'm only 60 but will I see this station in my lifetime?"
Spokesman Joe Pesaturo of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said there have been delays in the project, but in construction terms they're minor. Originally slated to be done in May 2006, opening day is now scheduled for sometime in November, he said. The main reason for missing the May date is the walkway over Cambridge Street, which was kept in place after the old headhouse was razed in 2004.
''The area's healthcare providers were not entirely comfortable with people crossing at grade (and the T concurred) so we decided to maintain the overhead walkway," Pesaturo wrote. ''To keep it open during construction, a new staircase had to be designed and built to access the overhead walkway.
''The complex construction project at Charles/MGH Station has advanced significantly during the last two months," he added in response to Phyllis's query. A concrete pier supporting the viaduct was removed and replaced with steel recently; steel for the transition platforms has been erected; precast panels for the platform have been installed; and steel for the future headhouse will begin to be put up in about a week, Pesaturo said.
He said the T continues to provide police details.
The late shift
Prepare for a major shift on the surface streets along the old Central Artery corridor tomorrow, and three weeks of emergency sewer work in the Back Bay.
This weekend, Big Dig workers began what Big Dig officials call ''the final major shift of Atlantic Avenue."
Starting yesterday, the northbound surface roadway shifted east between Summer Street near South Station and India Street near Harbor Towers.
Big Dig spokeswoman Mariellen Burns said the biggest change will be between the Moakley Bridge and India Street, where through traffic and drivers wanting to access the Moakley Bridge or South Boston will stay to the right. Those destined for the onramp to Interstate 93 north will stay left. Through traffic on Atlantic Avenue will be moved to directly in front of Rowes Wharf, which is where it will remain permanently.
Also yesterday, the city started emergency sewer repairs at the intersection of St. James Avenue and Berkeley Street. The city's transportation department expects substantial traffic and parking impact during the work.
As part of the project, parking will be eliminated on both sides of Berkeley Street from 100 feet north of Stuart Street to Boylston Street; and on the north side of St. James Avenue 200 feet east of Berkeley Street to Clarendon Street.
The changes will be enforced 24 hours a day and are expected to last three weeks. If you have questions, call 617-635-4-BTD.
Clipped
The Massachusetts Port Authority last week announced half-price fares on its Logan Express buses Feb. 15-28. But don't be like Herb of Peabody and get stuck. It was unsaid in the Massport announcement and in the press coverage, but you need a coupon.
Back in November, Herb tried to take advantage of a similar discount offered by Massport to bolster its Logan Express ridership. Again, no mention of a coupon. When Herb found out, he paid the full round-trip fare and did some digging.
He was told that the news media was told of the coupon but ignored the information. But Herb dug further and found that the coupons were only posted on the www.flylogan.com website, which this column had never heard of before last week. It was not posted on the Massport web page.
In the end, Herb sent in his coupon late and got his discount.
The coupon can be found at http://www.massport.com/logan/getti_typeo_lexcoup5.html.
Pit stops
MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas signed a $214,000 contract Friday to make repairs to the failing expansion joints in the Alewife parking garage. The work will take about five weeks to complete. The contractor plans to work at multiple sites in the garage at the same time and expects to start the work the second or third week in March. . . In case you missed it, our colleagues reported this week that Logan International Airport is simplifying its terminal names. The Massachusetts Port Authority will make the current Terminal D (
Light fright
Mark of Newburyport has always wanted to ask this:
''Why is there still a traffic light on Route 1 in Peabody near the Route 128 interchange?
The light he's referring to is at the Jug Handle, and is constantly backing up in the morning (southbound) and in the summer (northbound). Now, he said, it even backs up on the weekends.
Mark said that years ago, before the Interstate 95 extension to Route 128 was built, the light was necessary as this was the only way to interchange between the two highways. He also said that at the time, it was the only traffic light in the 2,500-plus miles of I-95 from Maine to Florida.
''Now, 20 years after the completion on the 95/128 extension and interchange, there seems to be no reason for the light," he wrote. ''Please do not say it is for people to reverse direction -- that can easily be accomplished on the old Route 1 at Route 114. And please don't say it is for the few businesses and hotels that lie north of the 128 exit off Route 1 north at Bertucci's. Neither of these could be reason enough to: inconvenience thousands of commuters; waste hundreds of gallons of fuel; and contribute pounds of pollution from idling vehicles every day, twice a day."
Massachusetts Highway Department spokesman Jon Carlisle politely disagreed. ''It serves a definite need," he said. He also said ''it allows traffic to reverse direction."
The Route 114 turnaround, Carlisle said, is already congested and has a high accident rate. And so, this historic light remains.
Can't get there
I-93 south around Sullivan Square will close 11:30 tonight to 5 a.m. tomorrow. In addition, the onramps to I-93 south from Mystic Avenue and City Square will also close.
Exit 23 (Purchase St.) off I-93 south will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday morning.
Exit 20B (Pike west/Albany St.) off I-93 south will close 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight through Saturday morning.
The Storrow Drive onramp to I-93 south will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday morning.
The Essex Street onramp to I-93 south will close 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday morning.
I-93 north at Exit 20 will close 11:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight through Tuesday. The onramps to I-93 north at Mass. Ave. and Broadway will also close.
The Essex Street onramp to I-93 north will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The Sumner Tunnel onramp to I-93 north will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Friday.
The Sumner Tunnel onramp to Storrow Drive will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Friday. Sumner Tunnel access to Haymarket will remain open.
Exit 26 (Storrow Drive) off I-93 north will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday morning.
The Haymarket onramp to I-93 north will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Friday.
The Pike east between Exit 22 (Pru/Copley) and South Boston will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Wednesday morning. Direct access to the Ted Williams Tunnel from Frontage Road, and South Boston will remain open.
Exit 24 B and C (I-93) from the Pike east will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday morning. Access to Kneeland Street/South Station will remain open.
Access to the Pike east from Exit 20 (Pike/Logan) will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Friday morning. Access to Kneeland/South Station will remain open.
Access from Frontage Road and Albany Street to the Pike east and Logan Airport will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Friday morning.
The Congress Street onramp to I-93 south and the Pike west will close 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. tonight through Saturday morning.
The onramp from Congress Street to I-93 in South Boston, and Exit 24 (I-93) off the Pike west will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Friday morning.
The ramp at I-93 north Exit 20 to the Pike west will close 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Friday morning. Access from Exit 20 to the Pike east and South Station will remain open.
The Frontage Road Northbound onramp to the Pike west at the Broadway Bridge will close 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday through Friday morning.
The exit ramp from I-93 south to Government Center and the Callahan Tunnel (Exit 24 A and B) will close 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday morning.
Route 1A north near Logan Airport will close 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. tomorrow through Friday.
Complain to us at starts@globe.com. Don't forget to send us your hometown. Outside the paper, the column can be found atwww.boston.com/news/local/startsandstops/. Our mailing address is Starts & Stops, P.O. Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819. 
