Plumbers go along for the ride on T's new Silver Line

The Silver Line extension to South Boston, the newest addition to the MBTA--the country's oldest subway system--opened in December and added a transportation linchpin to the burgeoning waterfront district. Local No. 12 plumbers, working under PHCC contractor Harding & Smith of Walpole, were part of the MBTA project's construction team.

Among the work performed, the Harding & Smith crew handled the plumbing, gasfitting, HVAC ductwork, equipment, and ATC controls, as well as the fire protection standpipes and sprinkler systems. According to Rick Sampson of Harding & Smith, the project included the installation of thousands of feet of piping, both above ground and buried underground.

The Silver Line Waterfront tunnel extends from South Station to Silver Line Way near the World Trade Center. The route then continues above ground to Boston Marine Industrial Park. Recently, a new leg of the Silver Line opened to Logan Airport. Unlike the T's more traditional subway cars, the Silver Line uses special buses that run on a combination of low-emission compressed natural gas fuel and electric power.

Security to a T

According to Jack McGinness,  Local No. 12 business agent, the Silver Line's tunnel has incorporated a unique feature: In the event of a security breach, hydraulic ramps, capable of stopping a fifty-ton vehicle traveling at sixty mph, form barricades at either end of the underground tunnel. "Plumbers installed the hydraulics for the barricades," he adds. "They're impressive. And they are part of Homeland Security's Terror Alert system.

John Hurley, a twenty-year veteran with Harding & Smith, served as project foreman until his retirement. Another company veteran, Jim Fitzgerald, then picked up the ball. Rick Hurley will be overseeing the warranty work.

"We're proud to have helped build this important extension," Sampson says. "The Seaport district has great potential on a number of fronts, and the Silver Line is going to play a critical role as the area grows."

Harding & Smith has a long-standing in-house contract with the MBTA. While it has refurbished a number of existing T stations, the Silver Line Waterfront represents the first new transit station work for the company.

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