Green Line extension begins surveying in Somerville

By Danielle Dreilinger, Globe Correspondent

The state Department of Transportation is getting ready to start engineering the future Green Line extension, but first they're coming to Somerville, Cambridge and Medford to get the lay of the land.

Workers started surveying the train corridor the week of Feb. 8. Before the engineers can proceed, they need to know soil conditions, topography, groundwater, "what the bedrock is like... where we need to work on bridges," said DOT project manager Kate Fichter.

The entire process should take six months. The six months of work, including surveying the future extension of the Community Path, will cost $5 million.

The crews shouldn't be intrusive: They'll mostly be along the MBTA right-of-way, which is below grade. However, if you see guys in safety orange climbing up bridges with bizarre equipment, don't call Homeland Security. The department alerted abutters already, and planned to start sending out emails this week (Feb. 22) to let people know exactly where the workers will be. Sign up for notifications at greenlineextension.org, or by contacting Fichter at 617 973-7342 or Katherine.Fichter@state.ma.us.

Blogger Courtney O'Keefe of ward5online.com wrote in an e-mail that Fichter "has been excellent in keeping me in the loop." Anyway, she added, "We have so much sporadic construction happening due to the revitalization of Magoun Square that they are just blending in."

For the remainder of the month, field survey crews will be at the Medford/Somerville and the Washington/McGrath intersections, and on several bridges. Workers are currently digging up soil on Broadway and Medford streets in Somerville, and should move to Walnut Street next week. This reporter proposes a prize for the best Lego depiction of the scene.