Watch out below, again!
Ceiling debris falls onto rail platform
A piece of ceiling debris fell on the Forest Hills commuter rail platform, two weeks after a 25-pound ceiling panel nearly hit a rider at a Red Line station.
In this instance, the debris was not concrete and weighed less than a pound, according to MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo.
“Some crumbled debris, apparently bridge joint felt, which is used as padding near joints and weighs less than one pound, was found on the ground,” Pesaturo said.
“Facilities maintenance personnel on the scene observed an area where felt is missing, and, with the felt missing, water has been observed coming down the bridge joint.”
He said the area where the debris was found, which was Wednesday morning according to a photo of the material posted on Twitter, has been cordoned off.
This incident occurred exactly two weeks after a more serious case of fallen debris at Harvard station, where a 25-pound waterlogged aluminum panel collapsed due to what T officials described as corrosion, nearly hitting a woman.
A video released by the MBTA showed the panel fell inches from the woman, who was walking by the area where the ceiling collapse occurred on March 1.
Two days later, MBTA Interim General Manager Jeffrey Gonneville announced the agency was performing a systemwide audit and taking steps to remove all similar soundproofing panels from T stations, to prevent another ceiling failure.
The MBTA had removed 130 ceiling panels from the southbound platform area at Harvard station as of Thursday, and plans to conduct a “thorough inspection” of the overhead structure there next week, Pesaturo said.
Gonneville said earlier this month that there are 400 to 500 soundproofing panels, which were installed around 1980, at Harvard station.
“When all panels on the southbound side are removed, engineering professionals next week will perform a thorough inspection of the overhead structure, identify leaks that need to be sealed and make any other repairs which are warranted,” Pesaturo said.