South Coast Rail update shows that trains going through Taunton, Fall River, New Bedford and more are closer than ever

The MassDOT has issued a construction update for the upcoming work taking place throughout the area. Test trains, signaling, road lane closures and more are a sign that later this year South Coast Rail will be going through Fall River, New Bedford and more.

Please note: the schedule for this infrastructure project is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.

Berkley: 24-Hour/Day Track and Signal Work at Padelford Street and from Myricks Street to Mill Street
Location of work: Track and Signal work in railroad right-of-way at Padelford Street and from Myricks Street to Mill Street in Berkley
Dates/Hours of Work: 24-hour/day track work, Wednesday, March 15 through Sunday, March 19

Fall River: Collin Street Road Closure for Culvert Work
Location of work: Culvert work in railroad right-of-way near Collins Street in Fall River will require Collins Street road closure (for detour use Clark Street)
Dates/Hours of Work: Work anticipated to begin Wednesday, March 22 during regular daytime hours, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Middleborough, Lakeville, Raynham, Taunton, Freetown, Fall River, and New Bedford: Signal System Installations and Testing
Installations and testing for the railroad signal system for the entire South Coast Rail Phase 1 is ongoing along the railroad right-of-way and at railroad crossings. Please be advised that during this work, signals may be disabled. In those instances, railroad workers known as flaggers will be in place to safely direct train traffic through crossings, and drivers should heed the flaggers’ directions.

The project will also be continuing to run test trains along the South Coast Rail lines to make sure the new signal systems are properly working. Abutters to the railroad may notice the increased train traffic and crossing signal usage.

Middleborough: Roadwork and Single-lane Closures on Route 105 (South Main Street)
Location of work: Roadwork and traffic signal installation near the New Middleborough Station site (161 South Main Street) on Route 105 across from the I-495 on/off ramps, as well as at the future pedestrian crossing of Route 28 (Grove Street) between the railroad overpasses
Dates/Hours of Work: Single-lane closures on Route 105 on weekdays, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM

Taunton: Shoulder and Lane Closure for Utility Installation and Traffic Signal Modifications on Route 140 (County Street)
Location of work: •Utility work on the southbound side of Route 140 (County Street) between Taunton Depot Drive and Industrial Drive •Installation of curb along Industrial Drive
Dates/Hours of Work: Weekdays, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM

New Bedford: Test Pits for New Traffic Signal foundations at the Intersection of Church Street and Nash Road
Location of work: •Test pits in sidewalks (to verify location of existing underground utilities) for new traffic signal pole foundations at the intersection of Church Street and Nash Road in New Bedford •Expect temporary lane closures with police detail in place •Traffic signal and roadway work to follow in weeks ahead
Dates/Hours of Work: Possibly Thursday or Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, weather permitting, otherwise will be scheduled for next week

Fall River: Test Pits for New Traffic Signal foundations at the Intersection of President Avenue and North Main Street
Location of work: •Test pits in sidewalks (to verify location of existing underground utilities) for new traffic signal pole foundations at the intersection of President Avenue and North Main Street in Fall River •Expect temporary lane closures with police detail in place •Traffic signal and roadway work to follow in weeks ahead
Dates/Hours of Work: Possibly Thursday or Friday, 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, weather permitting, otherwise will be scheduled for next week

Fencing Installation: Middleborough, Lakeville, Raynham, Taunton, Assonet, Freetown, 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 Richmond Road in Assonet 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 Saturday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Berkley: Railroad Access at Mill Street for Signal Work
Residents of Mill Street in Berkley may notice an increase in frequency and volume of traffic as crews performing South Coast Rail signal work will be accessing the railroad right-of-way and work staging area at the end of the street.
Location of work: Access to railroad right-of-way at Mill Street in Berkley
Dates/Hours of Work: •Typically, Monday through Friday (with weekend work as necessary), 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM •See above for 24-hour work in this area

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: •Monday through Sunday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM •See above for 24-hour work in this area

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, March 13 through Sunday, March 19, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM •Monday, March 20 through Friday, March 24, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

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: •Freetown Station site, 153 South Main Street, Assonet •Weaver’s Cove Layover Facility, 2680 North Main Street, Fall River •Fall River Depot site, 825 Davol Street, Fall River •Fall River Secondary Line railroad right-of-way
Dates/Hours of Work: •Monday, March 13 through Saturday, March 18, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM •Monday, March 20 through Friday, March 24, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

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