As Boston.com reported in April, the T had quietly pushed the target for the Union Square stop up two months to October, an earlier goal that was reversed with Monday’s action.
“Where this job was five years ago, I think we could say nothing of that nature,” Dalton added.
“However, the contractor has formally notified the MBTA of being impacted for both time and money due to COVID 19,” Battiston said in a statement.
The two cities have paid an unspecified portion already, but because construction has remained on budget and because of a boost the T got from the American Rescue Plan Act, MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said Cambridge and Somerville will not need to write any more checks.
It’s also another blemish on a major MBTA priority linked partly to the pandemic.
The first batches of those train cars, manufactured by Chinese firm CRRC, also remain out of service more than three months after one derailed on the Orange Line.