SILVER LINE TUNNEL SHUT DOWN

Buses rerouted after concrete falls in station

Pieces of concrete falling onto an MBTA passenger platform forced the closure “until further notice” of the Silver Line tunnel connecting South Station to the Seaport, T officials said yesterday.

“There were no known injuries as a result of this incident.” said T spokeswoman Lisa Battiston.

Buses running on surface streets will replace tunnel service to Silver Line Way until the tunnel is cleared for safe use, Battiston said.

That safety clearance is going to require an engineer, she said. The T has ordered an engineering assessment to determine the extent of any structural damage and will keep the tunnel closed until it’s complete.

The T pointed to ongoing construction activity on Congress Street in the vicinity of the World Trade Center Station as the possible cause of the damage. The broken concrete fell onto the Silver Line’s inbound platform at that station.

“Out of an abundance of caution for T customers and employees, the MBTA has closed the Silver Line tunnel from South Station to Silver Line Way until that assessment is complete,” Battiston said.

Surface buses will continue stopping at all normal stops between South Station and Silver Line Way.

The closure comes as thousands of out-of-town visitors arrive for the PAX East gaming exposition beginning today at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center.

Additional personnel have been deployed at each station to provide customer assistance.

The Silver Line provides a crucial transportation link between the Seaport, Logan Airport and South Station.

STAFF PHOTO BY MATT STONE SUBSTITUTE SERVICE: Passengers wait to board a bus above ground at a Silver Line stop. The line’s tunnel was closed because of concrete falling onto a station platform.