The MBTA sent out this message about the repairs on the Alewife Garage. NOTE, this story was updated at 4 p.m. on Aug. 10:
The safety of its customers and employees is the MBTA’s highest priority. Today, the MBTA is announcing that out of an abundance of caution, the Alewife garage will be closed through the weekend to allow for continued repairs and a comprehensive engineering assessment.
Through ongoing assessments and repair work, additional areas of deteriorated concrete that need to be addressed have been discovered. As such, the garage will be closed over the weekend to address these areas and to expedite the repair plan.
Today, engineering teams are focused on ensuring a safe path of travel for vehicles exiting the garage throughout the day.
The MBTA is in the process of developing a long-term plan for the garage, and in early July, solicited bids for an Alewife Garage Structural Repairs contract. Under a $5.7 million contract awarded yesterday, work will begin in September, and will include repairing beams, patching concrete decks, re-caulking deck joints, and cleaning and flushing the existing drainage system.
Addressing the state of good repair backlog is a priority for the MBTA and the T will spend $8 billion over the next five years upgrading the system’s infrastructure, an increase of $5 billion over the previous five years.
The MBTA apologizes for the temporary displacement of parking spaces and appreciates customers’ patience while the repair work advances.
While Alewife garage is closed this weekend, the MBTA is encouraging customers to consider other parking facilities including: Wellington, Oak Grove, and Riverside.
The MBTA will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available at www.mbta.com and @MBTA. The MBTA also encourages customers to sign up for T-Alerts.