Overview
The MBTA Track Improvement Program is a systemwide initiative focused on eliminating speed restrictions and restoring track infrastructure across the Red, Orange, Green, and Blue Lines. As a key partner providing quality control and special inspection services, LiRo-Hill has supported 23 construction surges to date, helping the MBTA advance major safety, reliability, and service improvements across its transit network.
About the Project
Since 2023, the MBTA and its project partners have worked to remove more than 220 speed restrictions, eliminate all slow zones for the first time in two decades, replace over 250,000 ft of rail, install nearly 13,000 ties, and complete extensive reconstruction and tamping operations. LiRo-Hill deployed a coordinated team of structural material testing and special inspection professionals alongside civil and structural engineering staff to support these accelerated shutdowns, each of which operated continuously for nine days, 24 hours per day. This effort was led by our New England office, with support from our NYC, Long Island, and New Jersey offices.
Project Challenges & Solutions
To meet the demanding pace of the MBTA’s construction surges, LiRo-Hill rapidly scaled resources while maintaining consistent quality oversight across multiple work zones. Our responsibilities included quality control oversight for ballast removal, tie and ballast installation, and track placement; visual inspections with precise gauge verification; and concrete and asphalt testing for new truck pads and crossings. LiRo-Hill also provided a limited materials testing program which included field and laboratory evaluation of concrete (air content, slump, temperature, and compressive strength) and ballast (sieve analysis, flat and elongated particle assessment, cementing value, Los Angeles abrasion, unit weight, specific gravity, and soundness) to verify compliance with MBTA specifications and long-term performance requirements.
During one surge, a LiRo-Hill Professional Engineer identified severe corrosion at the edge of a main propped cantilever girder supporting a concrete tunnel archway in a 100+ year old tunnel. The condition was immediately flagged to the contractor and owner, prompting overnight shoring to secure the structure and protect both workers and commuters. This example underscores the value of a collaborative open communication structure between the Owner, Engineer, Contractor, coupled with the presence of experienced Quality Control/Inspection personnel on site in such a key piece of infrastructure, thereby protecting workers and the commuters who rely on this system daily.
This effort also required continuous coordination across multiple concurrent contracts, inspection disciplines, and work fronts operating simultaneously within constrained track access windows. One of the most demanding aspects was maintaining multiple inspectors per shift on a 24/7 schedule while continuing to support LiRo-Hill’s other active project commitments. LiRo-Hill participated in daily safety briefings, coordinated closely with MBTA, contractors, and third-party stakeholders, and implemented disciplined end-of-shift reporting protocols so inspection documentation could be reviewed and turned over to the client and MBTA in real time. This structure supported consistent communication, proactive issue resolution, and strict adherence to safety, quality, and schedule requirements.
Outcome
The program has returned 2.4 million minutes of daily travel time to riders, generating nearly $1 million in economic benefit each day. Through systematic auditing, reporting, and rigorous oversight of MBTA standards, approved materials, weld integrity, vibration mitigation, and overall track performance, LiRo-Hill has helped the MBTA deliver measurable improvements in safety, reliability, and service quality.
