Tight squeeze

 Much of the space where the town wants to build the path and the underpass is already occupied by MBTA utilities as you will see in these videos and photos.

These are videos and photos of the area where the town/Nitsch plan to put the underpass. It is the area where you will see small sheds connected by tubes to the tracks.  The large white tanks are propane tanks used to keep the switches from freezing in the winter. There are also many MBTA manhole covers that access cables laid along the length of the tracks.  According to an abutter to this area "Last summer, the trench they [MBTA] dug for the positive train control cable was 4 feet deep." 

However, Nitsch's Michalak has said that the tunnel must be placed 3 feet under the RR tracks to avoid our high water table. This means is that the tunnel and the MBTA's underground conduit of cables are at odds with each other. 

 As anyone can see, the Alexander location will be a tight squeeze for the tunnel but I am wondering if putting a tunnel there is even possible. Perhaps this is why, after 4 years, there is still not a sketch for the tunnel.   






Alex-MBTA intersection is flanked by the 2 tall sheds. To the left, high voltage equipment


Narrow space between shed and propane tank; manhole covers near middle of the road



A manhole and utility cover? in the location where tunnel is likely to pass under the tracks

On the other side, a BHS road and parking plus field bleachers. How does a tunnel fit here?

High voltage equipment

 

(Video and photos by Anonymous)


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