Woburn Bridge Work Prompts Shuttle Buses On Commuter Rail

WOBURN, MA — Buses will replace regular train service for some Woburn-area Commuter Rail riders this weekend due to work on long-envisioned plans for Woburn's new bridge at New Boston Street.

The train service disruption will be in place between the Lowell Commuter Rail station and the Anderson/Woburn stop. Normal weekend service will run between Anderson/Woburn and North Station in Boston, according to an MBTA service alert.

MassDOT separately announced these same planned train disruptions on Friday, saying work along the train corridor would begin at 9 p.m. on Friday to last through 5 p.m. on Sunday.

New Boston Street runs through Woburn near the Wilmington town line. It was once a thru-street, providing a north/south pathway in the area. A crucial bridge on the road passing over MBTA railroad tracks was taken out of service in 1972, though, according to state documents, effectively severing the New Boston Street link.

The old New Boston Street bridge was later demolished. Officials have since looked to build a new structure, circulating an advertisement for project bids in September of last year.

The state Department of Transportation Board of Directors then formally authorized a $23.5 million contract in February for the project.

The project now looks to reconstruct roughly 1,850 feet of New Boston Street while building a new three-span bridge over existing MBTA tracks, documents show.

Bridge plans call for “pedestrian and bicycle accommodations" built on what officials in February envisioned as a 3.25-year construction timeline for this project.

State documents detailed a funding plan, with 80% of costs covered by the federal government and 20% of costs paid out of state coffers.

While work is scheduled to proceed at New Boston Street this weekend, normal MBTA Commuter Rail service on the Lowell Line is set to then resume on Monday without bus disruptions.