Government Center Station To Close For 2 Years

The Government Center MBTA station will close for two years for a $90 million construction project to overhaul the century-old station, MBTA officials said.

T spokesperson Joe Pesaturo says the station will close in the fall of 2013, during which Blue and Green Line trains will pass through the station but not stop.

The project will bring the station into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the MBTA says, and includes the installation of elevators, renovations to all platforms, and the construction of a new entrance.

The MBTA says it opted to close the station to passengers in order to reduce the overall cost and length of the project, and to decrease the chance of service disruptions.

According to The Boston Globe, the T had previously predicted that keeping the station open would increase the project's cost by $16 million and the length of the project by 15 months.

"The Board generally concurred with that recommendation, and design has progressed based on the station being closed as recommended," the MBTA said on its website.

A public meeting will be held on Dec. 12 to discuss the project and station closure.