Major work on Fall River South Coast Rail nearing completion as New Bedford, Taunton, Middleboro construction continues

Officials with MassDOT and South Coast Rail have signaled that major work in Fall River is nearing an end with construction continuing in communities such as New Bedford, Taunton, Middleborough, and Berkley.

Major construction on the FRS station structures in Fall River and Freetown will be completed this Fall along with paving and striping parking lots, installing parking lot lights, testing signals and fiber optics, and grading and seeding landscaped areas. Contractors will be destressing 10.7 miles of track and completing sidings and other special track work.

At Weaver’s Cove, the crew and mechanical buildings have taken shape. Final work includes grading and landscaping and paving the employee parking lot. Over this time period, the contractor will be working on a punchlist, completing items such as fencing, site cleanup and site utilities. This work will be completed in December or into early 2023.

With completion of the Fall River Line a few months away, and the New Bedford Line to follow, the project team will prepare for training crews and testing equipment and infrastructure next Summer in preparation for a completion of phase 1 of South Coast Rail by the end of 2023.

Here is an extensive update on work currently taking place on South Coast Rail.

Middleborough: Roadwork and Single-lane Closures on Route 105 (South Main Street)
Location of work: Roadwork near the New Middleborough Station site (161 South Main Street) on Route 105 south of Route 28 near the I-495 on/off ramps
Dates/Hours of Work: Single-lane closures on Route 105 on weekdays, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM
For roadway-construction issues related to this Route 105 work please call 423-375-4086.

Taunton: Shoulder Closure for Curb and Sidewalk Installation on Route 140 (County Street) Southbound
Location of work: Shoulder of Route 140 (County Street) on the southbound side between Taunton Depot Drive and Mozzone Boulevard
Dates/Hours of Work: Weekdays, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM
For roadway-construction issues related to this Route 140 work please call 423-375-4086.

Fencing Installation: Middleborough, Lakeville, Raynham, Taunton, Assonet, Fall River, Berkley, and New Bedford
Location of work: •Installation of fencing along the Middleborough Secondary Line railroad right-of-way at locations between Route 140 in Taunton and the new Middleborough Station site (161 South Main Street, Middleborough) •Installation of fencing along the Fall River Secondary Line railroad right-of-way at locations between the Weaver’s Cove Layover Facility site (2680 North Main Street) in Fall River and the Fall River Depot site (825 Davol Street) in Fall River •Installation of fencing along the New Bedford Main Line railroad right-of-way at locations between the East Taunton Station site (1141 County Street) in Taunton and the New Bedford Station Site (Acushnet Avenue at Whale’s Tooth Parking Lot) in New Bedford
Dates/Hours of Work: Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Berkley: Railroad Access at Cotley Street
Location of work: Cotley Street in Berkley
Dates/Hours of Work: Please note that the contractor will be using Cotley Street to access the right-of-way for various work activities. This access will be primarily used during the daytime (7:00 AM-7:00 PM) but will also be used 24-hours/day during some activities.

Berkley: Railroad Work at Myricks Street
Location of work: Work in the railroad right-of-way in the area of Myricks Street in Berkley
Dates/Hours of Work: Typically, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Please note that although regular daytime construction hours begin at 7:00 AM, abutters may notice crews arriving at the construction sites prior to this time.

Daytime Work on Middleborough Secondary and New Bedford Main Line
Construction is ongoing at station and layover sites and along the railroad right-of-way from Middleborough to New Bedford.
Location of Work: •New Middleborough Station site, 161 South Main Street, Middleborough •East Taunton Station site, 1141 County Street, Taunton •Wamsutta Layover Facility site, 217 Herman Melville Boulevard, New Bedford •Church Street Station site, 387 Church Street, New Bedford • New Bedford Station Site, Acushnet Avenue (at Whale’s Tooth Parking Lot), New Bedford •Middleborough Secondary and New Bedford Main Line right-of-way
Dates/Hours of Work: •Monday, November 21 through Wednesday, November 23, and Friday, November 25, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM •Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 2, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Please note that although regular daytime construction hours begin at 7:00 AM, abutters may notice crews arriving at the construction sites prior to this time.

Daytime Work on Fall River Secondary Line
Construction is ongoing at station and layover sites and along the railroad right-of-way from Berkley to Fall River.
Location of work: •Adams Lane, Berkley •Freetown Station site, 153 South Main Street, Assonet •Weaver’s Cove Layover Facility, 2680 North Main Street, Fall River •Turner Street Railroad Bridge, Fall River •Fall River Depot site, 825 Davol Street, Fall River •Fall River Secondary Line railroad right-of-way
Dates/Hours of Work: •Monday, November 21 through Wednesday, November 23, and Friday, November 25, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM •Monday, November 28 through Friday, December 2, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Please note that although regular daytime construction hours begin at 7:00 AM, abutters may notice crews arriving at the construction sites prior to this time.

Daytime Transportation of Soils
Please note that soils excavated from the railroad right-of-way and roadways during the above work are typically transported during the day by truck to designated project sites.
Dates/Hours of Work: •Regular daytime hours 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM