Traffic Impacts for Railroad Crossing Work in Chelsea

The MBTA is building a new, fully accessible Chelsea Commuter Rail station next to the final SL3 stop in Chelsea. When complete, the new station will connect the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail Lines to the SL3. While building the new station, we will also upgrade the rail signal system for the railroad crossings at Third Street, Everett Avenue, Spruce Street, Sixth & Arlington Streets, and Eastern Avenue in Chelsea, as well as Second Street in Everett.

To prepare for the railroad crossing work, the MBTA’s contractor will be doing railroad signal system upgrades at these locations. 

Saturday Traffic Impacts in June and July

To safely perform work at the railroad crossings, traffic will be impacted in the following locations:

•Third Street in Chelsea – Saturday, June 26, from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM. At least one lane of traffic will remain open in each direction.

•Everett Avenue in Chelsea – Saturday, July 10, from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Northbound traffic may be detoured around the railroad crossing for a portion of the work as may be required. See the detour route below. Southbound traffic will not be impacted.

•Spruce Street in Chelsea – Saturday, July 17, from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM. At least one lane of traffic will remain open in each direction.

•Arlington & Sixth Street in Chelsea – Saturday, July 24, from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM. At least one lane of traffic will remain open in each direction.

•Eastern Avenue in Chelsea – Saturday, July 31, from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

At least one lane of traffic will remain open in each direction. Police details will help direct traffic around all railroad crossings while construction is in progress.

Detour Route for Northbound Traffic on Everett Avenue

Northbound traffic on Everett Avenue will be directed to follow the detour route:

•Turn right on Spruce Street. After crossing the railroad tracks, turn left on Beech Street. Turn left on Maple Street, then turn right to continue north on Everett Avenue.

MBTA Commuter Rail riders will not be impacted by this work. 

Commuter Rail Service Shutdowns This Fall

During up to six weekends this Fall, we will need to shut down Commuter Rail service while work to test and integrate the new railroad signal system is completed. Shuttles will replace train service during the weekend shutdowns. All pedestrian and bicycle access at SL3 stations will remain the same. Further information, including an updated work schedule and information about bus shuttles, will be sent through this email list and posted to the project website.

The current Chelsea Commuter Rail station, on the Newburyport/Rockport Line at Arlington Street in Chelsea, is inconvenient for transfers to other modes, is not accessible to people with disabilities, and is in disrepair. The MBTA is investing $32 million to construct the new Chelsea Commuter Rail station, including full high-level platforms for boarding, canopies and benches, new sidewalks, security cameras, passenger assistance telephones, lighting, and more. Work began in August 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2021.

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