Beacon Providing Construction Consulting Services for Important MBTA Commuter Rail Project in Massachusetts
The Wachusett Extension Project is an ongoing construction project owned by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The project will extend a Boston metropolitan area commuter rail line by building a new station in Fitchburg, MA and a train layover facility in Westminster, MA.
The project is an important one for MBTA, but involves a very tight construction schedule, in part because track materials were not available according to the original construction schedule. Because of early project delays, Beacon was retained by the Surety to assist with project management and cost oversight, and to help move the project forward in a timely manner.
Scheduling is especially critical on the Wachusett Extension Project because of conditions on a federal grant which is a crucial part of the project’s financing. The project must be complete, in terms of passengers being able to board trains at the station, no later than a specified date. For this reason, the project schedule has been accelerated compared to the baseline schedule.
Beacon’s involvement in the project has helped to ensure that it continues to move forward smoothly. At the time of writing, S&R Construction, the General Contractor for the project, is in the process of laying tracks, pouring concrete for the station walls and footings, and finishing the maintenance building at the layover station. At this time, the project is on schedule to be substantially completed near the end of the summer and appears to be in a good position to be on time for the federal grant schedule.
In addition to bringing time-management expertise, Beacon is able to provide direction on complicated construction tasks. For example, at the layover facility, a complex system of switches leads a single track onto the six tracks set at the facility to store and charge the trains. Beacon is working closely with S&R and its subcontractors to help.
