As the contractor is about to mobilize on the MBTA’s Codman Yard project, officials reassured neighbors at a virtual meeting on Oct. 13 that they would adjust traffic plans on Hillsdale Street – a major point of contention at a meeting in March.

The train yard next to Ashmont Station will be modernized and expanded during the three-year project, which is being done to accommodate a new set of Red Line trains in 2025.

Neighbors had previously raised concerns about the use of Hillsdale Street as access to the yard for heavy construction equipment. At last week’s meeting, the MBTA’s Roodly Dorleans said the project plans have been changed to account for those worries.

“We need access points to maintain the project schedule and we also want to minimize impacts on the neighbors,” said Dorleans. “We had been going to use Hillsdale and Gallivan as the two entrances. But due to community feedback, during construction there will be temporary access now on Hutchinson Street. This point and Gallivan will be the primary access points to minimize heavy construction impacts.”

Dorleans said that workers would use the entrance on Gallivan for much of the construction traffic, and they will use a new temporary gate on Hutchinson Street behind Carney Hospital and next to Dorchester Park for the other access point.

The Hillsdale Street entry gate will be reconstructed and moved farther into the Yard late in the project so that normal MBTA vehicles entering with a secure key card don’t idle on the street while waiting to enter.

The MBTA did announce a new wrinkle in the project in that they will install a temporary construction access point at the end of Beale Street near Ashmont Station for construction traffic working on the feeder track that runs from Ashmont Station to the Codman Yard.

That entrance will be carefully monitored to prevent major impacts to the residential street.

MBTA officials noted that they plan to give the contractor, Barletta Construction Heavy Division, notice to proceed late this month or early in November. They are not expected to do major work until the spring.

There will be a total of five phases, or milestones, and the project will end in the fall of 2025. At that point, new Red Line trains will be delivered to the Yard where they will be adjusted and prepared for use on the entirely refurbished Red Line network.

Other project news:
•There will be some weekend work on the project, approximately two such periods over the three years, that will require busing passengers between Ashmont and JFK Stations.
•During the weekend closures, the Mattapan High Speed Rail will be shut down as well.