Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesinclair
In Boston, the green line is being extended, which requires shifting a portion of track. As part of that work, they are removing more of the elevated viaduct than needed to build it new. They are also using the time to repair the rest of the viaduct.
|
The Green Line is a light rail system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest Boston rapid transit line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest in America. It runs as a deep-level subway through downtown Boston, and on the surface into inner suburbs via four branches on several radial boulevards. It crosses the Charles River on the Lechmere Viaduct built in 1912, over 100 years ago. It's other major elevated section is the Highland Branch of the D branch, a former commuter rail line.
The first section of what became the Highland branch was built by the Boston and Worcester Railroad between Boston and Brookline in 1848. The Charles River Branch Railroad, a forerunner of the New York and New England Railroad, extended the line to Newton Upper Falls in 1852. The B&A bought the line in 1883 and extended to Riverside, rejoining its main line there. The line was closed in 1958 and sold to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which reopened it in 1959 as a light rail line. 1883 is almost 140 years ago, and 1959 is just over 60 years ago.
MBTA is just now rebuilding bridges and viaducts built over 100 years ago. That's significantly longer than 50 years.