BOSTON (WHDH) - Crews had removed approximately 187 ceiling panels from the MBTA’s Harvard station as of Friday, the T said, just over two weeks after a falling tile narrowly missed hitting a person on a platform on March 1.
MBTA Interim General Manager Jeff Gonneville said on March 3 that the tile appeared to have fallen due to corrosion from water leaking into the area. He announced ongoing work at the time to remove similar panels.
Officials provided an update on efforts on Friday after providing other updates in recent weeks. In addition to removing panels, officials said this week that crews tested and confirmed asbestos wasn’t found in the area.
Officials said crews will continue to detach remaining panels overnight before engineering consultants move in to re-inspect the ceiling.
Video surveillance of the March 1 incident showed a woman later identified as Cianna Navarro walking along the Harvard platform before the ceiling tile fell close by.
Navarro told 7NEWS after the incident that she was physically fine, though she was shaken up.
“I was just walking and the next thing I know, the ceiling is coming crashing down in front of me,” Navarro said.
Gonneville said on March 3 that the panel, which was designed to boost the aesthetics of the station and absorb noise, weighed between 20 and 25 pounds.
Gonneville said he was “extremely thankful and relieved” that no one was injured as the panel fell.
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