The city’s fire and police officials briefed the Somerville City Council on safety measures being implemented in preparation for the GLX project construction bridge closures set to begin later this week.

By Jim Clark

Ward 7 Councilor and Council President Katjana Ballantyne put forward an order that the Chief Fire Engineer and the Chief of Police discuss with the Council, at its February 14 regular meeting, the detailed safety plans for the city as it relates to the upcoming bridge closures due to the Green Line Extension construction.

Fire Chief Breen stated that West Somerville is protected by three Fire Stations: in Teele Square, on Highland Avenue, and on Somerville Avenue. Once the Broadway bridge closes, all three of those stations will continue to have access to West Somerville.

In addition, there is an agreement in place with the Cambridge Fire Department that for any fire calls in West Somerville, the Porter Square Fire Station at 2029 Mass Avenue will respond. Also, the Arlington and Medford Fire Departments are aware of the situation and will respond if needed.

Once the bridge closes, Fire Department staff will be monitoring the situation in real time every day to monitor conditions. Ward 5 Councilor Niedergang expressed concern about the traffic caused by the detours and how emergency vehicles will get through. Chief Breen replied that a communication system has been put in place so the police can assist with traffic if an emergency call comes through. Once this information is finalized, it will be posted on the city’s website.

Chief Breen also said there will be training sessions set up between all of the fire stations.

Councilor Niedergang praised the efforts put forward by the departments, saying, “Thank you for the plan, and for the officers, the command staff who have worked on it. It sounds like a comprehensive plan and a well thought out plan. It sounds like you’re throwing a lot of personnel and resources at this, which I deeply appreciate.”

The City of Somerville offers a number of ways to stay updated about construction. Anyone interested can sign up to receive a weekly email outlining upcoming construction citywide at www.somervillema.gov/construction. Residents are also encouraged to enroll in the City’s alert system at www.somervillema.gov/alerts to ensure they’re notified prior to major detours or disruptive construction activity in their neighborhood.

Anyone seeking assistance for an urgent construction-related matter can call the 24/7 GLX hotline at 1-855-GLX-INFO (459-4636) or email info@glxinfo.com.

For additional information about the Green Line Extension Project, including construction schedules, fact sheets, and the latest station designs, visit www.mass.gov/glx.

The report by the Police and Fire Department officials was entered into the Council record and placed on file.