Electrical Wiring Project Will Impact Traffic on North Beacon St.

Another one of Watertown’s major roadways will have a project this year that will slow traffic. New electric lines will be installed under North Beacon Street, and could take two to three months to complete. In January, the City Council approved the petition from Eversource to install 1,612 feet of conduit for electrical wires under North Beacon. The project also includes 177 feet of conduit under Main Street and 60 feet of conduit under Pleasant Street. The photos in the petition application show roadways starting at the intersection of Pleasant Street and Main Street in Watertown Square, and going east to the intersection of North Beacon Street and Irving Street.

Watertown Reduced Trash by More than 1,000 Tons in 2022

Watertown DPWWatertown’s compost, trash and recycling toters. The following information was provided by the Department of Public Works:

Happy New Year! 2022 was a big year for waste reduction in Watertown. We implemented newprograms to help achieve the newly ratified Massachusetts 2030 waste goals. This landmarkmasterplan set the objective of municipalities reducing the amount of waste they send for disposal by 30% by 2030.

Water Main Break Shuts Off Service in Area of West Side

The Department of Public Works announced that water has been shut off for some streets on the West End of Watertown on Wednesday. The DPW sent out the following information on its Instagram account:

Please be aware that the Department of Public Works is reporting on Wednesday, January 18, 2023 at 12:30 PM that the water is shut down on Copeland near Highland to address a water break. We’ll provide updates as we get them.

Trash Collection: Christmas Trees, Extra Trash Bags & 2023 Schedule

Watertown residents will be allowed to put out more trash bags than fit in their toters for one week only, and in January they can put out Christmas trees. The Department of Public Works sent out the following announcements, and also noted that trash and recycling collection will be delayed by a day the first week of January. Extra Trash

We understand that households often generate some extra trash during the holiday season. For this reason, we are allowing OVERFLOW trash bag pickup during the holiday week of Tuesday, January 3 through Saturday, January 7, 2023. Residents may put up to THREE extra bags of household trash out with their trash barrels for collection.

See Which Roads Will Be Repaired in 2023, Condition of City’s Roadways Declining

Six roads made the City’s road repair list for 2023, and another will be part of the longer-road program. City Councilors also heard a report of a meeting where the Department of Public Works said the City’s road rating had dropped. Repair List

On Dec. 13, the City Council approved the funding for the annual road repair program, as well as longer street projects in future years. Roads that will be repaired in 2023 are: Bates Road, Bates Road East, Essex Street, Nash Street, Francis Street and Bradshaw Street.

Watertown Yard Waste Collection May be Delayed

The Watertown Department of Public Works announced that yard waste collection may be delayed. The DPW sent out the following announcement:

Dear Watertown residents,

Please be patient with yard waste collection for the next few weeks. Republic is working to collect the drastic increase in bags and containers of yard waste and may be delayed a day or two. Please leave your bags and bins out if they are not collected on your normal day. Republic will be by later in the week.

New Mattress Recycling Option Available for Watertown Residents

HandUpHandUp collects mattresses and recycles them in their facility in New Bedford. Watertown residents have a new option for recycling mattresses and box springs. The City is collaborating with a company that will, for a fee, pick up these items from the curbside once a month and recycle them. The next collection date is Oct. 11.