Wu, state officials reach deal on closing Summer Street ahead of World Cup matches

After weeks of tense negotiations, Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration and state transportation officials have struck a deal to manage crowds at a major transit hub for the World Cup, agreeing to limit the number of days traffic will be closed outside South Station while allowing the MBTA flexibility to impose restrictions during other tournament matches, officials said Tuesday.

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Under the deal, Summer Street will be closed for matches one and three at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, scheduled for Saturday June 13, and Friday June 19, and likely for the sixth and seventh matches slated for Monday, June 29 and Thursday, July 9.

For other matches scheduled for later this month, the street will be closed partially. For matches held on June 16, June 23, and June 26, only the westbound side of the street, a main downtown thoroughfare that connects the Financial District with the Seaport, will be open to cars.

For those dates, the direction of travel “will be coordinated based on the demands of the respective day and time,” with security officials making decisions “as needed in the interest of public safety,” authorities said. That may include additional temporary traffic restrictions and lane closures to accommodate crowd management.

The MBTA and the city of Boston will also review the Summer Street closures following each match, officials said.

“Consistent with our usual process for planning large scale events, we are pleased that our City and State teams have developed a shared plan for Summer Street that will ensure public safety, efficient access, and clear coordination,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in a statement on Tuesday.

Phillip Eng, the interim state transportation secretary and the T’s general manager, said in a statement the plan allows both the MBTA and the city “to keep security paramount while also maintaining street flexibility.”

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“Thank you to Mayor Wu and city staff for collaborating with us as we best support both our global World Cup passengers and the greater Boston community,” he said.

State and city officials had been at a standoff over when — and for how long — to close down the busy section of Summer Street in front of South Station.

State transportation officials wanted to shut the section of Summer Street between South Station and Fort Point Channel to vehicle traffic for all seven local World Cup matches as a safety measure for fans taking the train to the games, according to a letter the agency sentto City Hall last month.

Boston officials, however, initially balked at the request, prompting T officials to suggest the state would simply take over that stretch of street with or without the city’s buy-in. Under the agreement, the MBTA has backed off its threats of using eminent domain, given that the city will issue the transportation agency the necessary occupancy permit.

The protracted clash had raised fresh concerns about Boston’s readiness to host the global event. T officials expect as many as 20,000 fans could ride trains for each of the seven matches slated to play out at Gillette Stadium.

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This is a breaking news story and will be developed.