Traffic detours on Mt. Auburn Street, Boylston Street, and Stearns Road will take place during the week of Aug. 10-14. Also, bus stops near Boylston Street will be moved toward Watertown Square. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below.
Full Depth Road Reconstruction
Full Depth Road Reconstruction will take place on Mt. Auburn Street between Amherst Road and School Street. This work takes the existing asphalt and mixes it with the base layers. This work will require a detour. Please see more info below.
Detour
The following detour will be put in place during the construction next week:
Mt. Auburn Street: One lane of traffic in each direction will remain open throughout construction. Traffic will be shifted to either the eastbound or westbound side of the roadway as needed, depending on the location of the active work zone.
Boylston Street: Access to Mt. Auburn Street from Boylston Street will be closed beginning at the Concord Road intersection. Drivers should follow the posted detour via Chauncey Street to reach Mount Auburn Street.
Stearns Road: Access to Mt. Auburn Street from Stearns Road will be closed beginning at the Amherst Road intersection. Drivers should follow the posted detour via Amherst Road to access Mt. Auburn Street.
MBTA Bus Stop Relocation
Two MBTA bus stops along the 71 bus route will be impacted by the construction work in this area this week. Riders should follow on-site signage to the new temporary locations below:
Bus Stop ID 2040: Mt. Auburn Street @ Amherst Road will be relocated in front of 298 Mt. Auburn Street. Bus Stop ID 2054: Mt. Auburn Street @ Boylston Street will be relocated in front of 297 Mt. Auburn Street.
Sidewalk Grading & Forming
Sidewalk fine grading will take place on Mount Auburn Street between Dexter Avenue & Melendy Street and Boylston Street & School Street.
There will also be fine grading and forming between Upland Road and Hillside Road.
Sidewalk Pouring
Concrete placement will take place on the westbound sidewalk along Mount Auburn Street between Dexter Aveue & Melendy Street, as well as Boylston Street & School Street.
Sidewalk Removal
There will be no sidewalk removal this week.
Access & Travel Information Sidewalks: During this work, pedestrians will be asked to use the sidewalks on the opposite side of the street. Once the work is completed, temporary walkways will be maintained to allow pedestrian access.
Business Access: Pedestrians Needing access to businesses with in the active construction process will be directed to use rear entrances when available, or they will be escorted safely through the work zone by police details. Construction activities will be temporarily paused until pedestrians have safely entered the designated safe zone.
Traffic: During this work, you can expect temporary lane shifts and possibly lane closures, but one travel lane in each direction will be maintained on Mt. Auburn Street.
Parking Impacts
Street parking in the construction area on Mount Auburn Street will be restricted. Construction crews will post parking closure signs in those areas starting at 7 a.m. and will be removing them from the area by 5 p.m. each day.
(Note: All dates are approximate and will be dependent on weather conditions and any testing yet to be performed.)
Resources from the City’s Economic Development Team
During construction in the Coolidge Square area, Watertown’s Economic Development team developed the below graphic to help residents get around Coolidge Square, whether by car, bike, bus, or walking. Keep up to date with any road closures, bus stop impacts, or parking limitations in the work detailed above! A larger version of this map can be found at Mount Auburn Street’s project website.