Work on MBTA’s Ashmont Station complete

Reconstruction of Ashmont Station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Red Line in Dorchester is complete. The $84 million Ashmont Station reconstruction is the last of four Dorchester stations to be modernized as part of the Red Line Rehabilitation Project, an overall $158 million investment. "Accessible, reliable public transportation is critical for our neighborhoods and our economy," said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. "I am proud to celebrate the completion of Ashmont Station, which will provide commuters with a state-of-the-art transit facility at one of the city's busiest transportation hubs." Originally built in 1928, Ashmont Station was first modernized in 1976. The newly reconstructed Ashmont Station makes it a state-of-the-art, fully accessible transit facility with two entrances, a new lobby with Charlie Card access to the system, new platforms to accommodate six-car trains, new communications and security systems and a reconfigured busway. Additional improvements to Ashmont station include new lighting, new floors and glass curtain walls and canopies, along with site improvements to the path of travel, landscaping and the construction of Peabody Square Park. In 1999, the state legislature appropriated $67 million for the Dorchester Red Line Rehabilitation Project. The Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Shawmut and Ashmont stations were redesigned with active support from Dorchester legislators and the community to address the needs of each neighborhood location. The project was awarded to Barletta Construction in September 2003. Savin Hill station reopened in 2005 and Fields Corner and Shawmut stations opened in 2008 and 2009, respectively.