Haverhill Line Upgrades (Western Route)

Any progress in the past few weeks?

I don't know how recent this is but here are some before and after pictures of the work on the Andover Street crossing. At a minimum they were "new to me".

Before by David Hutchinson

After by David Hutchinson

Also here are some other photos I found of the work:

Railroad bridge in the vicinity of Lupine Road, Andover by George Kenson

Lowell Junction Road by George Kenson

Both of the above were taken in October so nothing "new" there but as before "new to me".

There hasn't been a whole lot of activity over the winter (as expected). The easterly work area (Andover to Lawrence) hasn't changed much recently. There was draining and retaining wall work in Andover just east of the station, between Main St and Harding St bridges. Probably a half-mile or so of track left to construct from just east of Harding to west of the Pearson/Essex St crossings in Andover. That includes the crossing and it's crossing signals.* None of this track is ballasted or lined/tamped either, from Andover east toward Lawrence. Also, it still needs to be cut into the soon to be former Lawrence runner on the east end.

The two Shawsheen bridges appear to be structurally complete - still some finish work left. I should have taken a photo when I was walking by the eastern bridge yesterday but I didn't. Sorry!

Not sure how much work in Lawrence is left to do. I only ride as far as Andover so I don't see the eastern end much.

Sorry to say but I think this project is at a stand still. Until this contract dispute is over I don't think much work will be done. All of the heavy equipment is gone from the job site. See what April brings.

April should bring some developments at the new JK and CPF-AS.

D

insider485 wrote:Sorry to say but I think this project is at a stand still. Until this contract dispute is over I don't think much work will be done. All of the heavy equipment is gone from the job site. See what April brings.

And what dispute would that be? I went back a few pages and could not find a reference to a dispute.

Rockingham Racer wrote:

insider485 wrote:Sorry to say but I think this project is at a stand still. Until this contract dispute is over I don't think much work will be done. All of the heavy equipment is gone from the job site. See what April brings.

And what dispute would that be? I went back a few pages and could not find a reference to a dispute.

News to me as well.

Work on the Western Route is being done by MBCR under a separate construction contract with the MBTA. It's that "other" contract (the commuter rail ops & maintenance contract) that's got a little dispute looming.

Forgot to add...some minor activity. Several side dump cars and a gon were deposited on the west leg of the wye at Lowell Jct, I think sometime this week.

Only a little going on this morning - slow across Andover St., but no vehicles or employees visible. Single pickup trucks at I-495 (west of the highway) and the underpass west of Frye. The easterly track hasn't been reconnected between the Andover Shawsheen bridge and the cemetery crossing. Yesterday I noticed two pickup trucks by the former siding switch into the chemical plant west of Gillette and east of I-93, but nobody there today. I didn't notice the dump cars, but I hadn't read octr202's post and so wasn't really looking for them. For whatever reason, "rarin' to go" does not apply in Spring of 2014.

Slightly outside the work area, a new building is going up on what I think was formerly Helferich Boiler west of the 1931 passenger station. Construction vehicles were working across the former E leg of the M&L wye, making me wonder if that property has been sold off.

Crews are currently working on track 2 by the Sutton Street crossing in North Andover.

mark your calenders!! Major track work scheduled for the weekend of May 17th. Bussing will take place of trains for the weekend. Looks like new tracks across Essex St. in Andover, bridges and crossing signals. Hopefully May 19th, Monday we will be ready for normal week day schedule.

Tuesday morning there were a number of trucks at Andover St. and on my return commute the easterly main track had been extended about far enough to be connected when the end-of-double-track switch is removed. More vehicles there today, but I'm still not clear on the plan for the sharp-angle switch that's been sitting near the old tower location for 3 years now. Nothing happening yet in the vicinity of Andover station. Several hundred yards of rail/ties remain to be built, including west of the cemetery crossing, and then the track must be ballasted to Frye. Ties for this appear to be stockpiled at I-495 and opposite Anover station platform.

No activity elsewhere, so I guess the #20 crossovers at I-495 are not on the 'finish before summer' list. So things will get better for freights and Downeasters, but starting in May MBTA trains will have to meet at Frost rather than AS. This adds a couple of minutes plus the Lawrence station dwell time to the time the single track is effectively busy.

The various rail pieces for the #20 crossover near I 495 are on site. Perhaps the crossover installation could be sooner rather than later.

Amtrak is suspending the Downeaster west of Haverhill this weekend (4/12-13) for work on the Haverhill bridge. mbta.com isn't saying anything about it yet, but perhaps there will be work at Andover. I didn't see much going on at Andover St. in Lawrence yesterday.