LOWELL, Mass. – Commuters who want to keep their monthly pass for parking in covered garages at the Lowell commuter-rail station during construction are being asked to apply for limited spaces.

About 550 spaces in parking garages known as Gallagher I and Gallagher II parking garages will not be accessible during the work, which will replace the 30-year-old, four-story Gallagher I, rendering Gallagher II inaccessible.

About 400 spaces in what is known as the Rourke garage, also adjacent
to the rail terminal, will
stay available – 200 for monthly passes and 200 for daily parkers – according to the announcement handed out to commuters Wednesday.

A number of parking lots, many at nearby companies, are being saved for commuters, including lots at Comfort Furniture, the YMCA and M/A-Com Technology Solutions.

These lots will require more walking to the rail station than the covered garages; a couple of them are on the far side of nearby roads.

The announcement released Wednesday is from James Scanlan, administrator of the Lowell Regional Transit Authority.

Its says that 775 “daily parkers” currently use the Gallagher and Rourke garages, and that a total of 715 spaces are being reserved for the LRTA.

Of those, “approximately 515 spaces will be available for monthly pass holders … and they will be assigned based on longevity,” the statement said.

On average, about 20 percent of the vehicles in the garages – between 120 and 150 vehicles – have New Hampshire license plates, Scanlan had said previously.

The application for the monthly pass is due by Friday, Feb. 21.

It noted that spaces also are available in North Billerica, the first stop toward Boston on the Lowell commuter line.

All the concrete in Gallagher I will be removed and replaced. The garage will be closed for about a year starting around April 1.

The $7 million project will be paid for with $2.5 million in federal transportation money with the rest coming from Massachusetts state funds.

David Brooks can be reached at 594-6531 or dbrooks@nashua
telegraph.com. Also, follow Brooks on Twitter (@GraniteGeek).