The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced that the Symphony station on the Green Line in Boston will close for nearly three years beginning June 6 to undergo extensive renovations. The project, expected to last approximately 35 months, aims to modernize the underground station with improvements including the installation of four new elevators, raised platforms for easier boarding, accessible restrooms, and glass enclosures for stairwell entrances. The renovated station is projected to reopen in the summer of 2029.

The current station lacks step-free access from entrances to platforms, posing significant challenges for passengers with mobility impairments. Phil Eng, the MBTA’s general manager and interim transportation secretary for Massachusetts, emphasized that the upgrades will enhance accessibility and improve quality of life for the surrounding community. He acknowledged the temporary inconvenience but expressed confidence that the end result will provide a bright, fully accessible station that serves the public for generations.

The MBTA has allocated approximately $150.8 million for the overall project, with nearly $20 million spent on relocating underground utilities nearby, which is nearly complete. The agency secured $66.6 million in federal funding to support the renovations. Trains traveling in both directions on the Green Line will bypass Symphony station during the closure, but service on other E branch stops will continue as usual.

Commuters who usually rely on Symphony are advised to use alternative nearby stops. The Prudential and Northeastern stations, both about a five-minute walk away, are recommended for Green Line access, while the Orange Line stop at Massachusetts Avenue is roughly three minutes distant. Additionally, the MBTA’s Route 39 bus, which runs along Huntington Avenue, has stops near Gainsborough Street and Prudential to accommodate riders affected by the closure.

Some riders expressed frustration over the length of the closure. Leonard Hridoy, a resident of Mission Hill who frequents Symphony for grocery shopping, called the three-year shutdown “crazy” and suggested that improvements could be made without fully closing the station. Likewise, Northeastern University student Hir Panchal noted that while the upgrades aim to improve accessibility, the closure temporarily reduces it for many users. Panchal also warned that the station closure could increase overcrowding on buses and neighboring stations, which are already busy.

Others saw the closure as a necessary step. Recent Northeastern graduate Max Anosh acknowledged the station’s deteriorating condition, pointing to issues such as falling wall tiles and peeling paint, and considered the extensive renovations a positive development despite the temporary disruption. Mara Zaner, a New England Conservatory student, highlighted concerns about longer walks to alternate stops, which she said could complicate daily commutes and access to the city.

This closure follows a pattern of long-term elevator and accessibility projects at other MBTA stations, including Central Square, where elevator service has been out for over three years, and ongoing renovations to elevators at the same station’s outbound platform. Similar improvements have been proposed for the nearby Hynes Convention Center station, although no formal construction timeline has been announced.

The MBTA’s Symphony station renovation reflects a broader effort to update aging infrastructure and improve accessibility for all riders, though the extended closure presents short-term challenges for commuters in the area.