Around Town

Sidewalk Work, Lane Shifts and Parking Restrictions on Mt. Auburn Street This Week

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Construction of the Mt. Auburn Street Project this week includes work on sidewalks, but business entrances will still be accessible. Also, expect require lane shifts and parking restrictions. See details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Traffic Line Striping – Overnight Work

Traffic line striping is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6, 2026, beginning at 8:00 p.m. and lasting approximately four hours.

Letters

LETTER: Mt. Auburn Street — Good Intentions Are Not Enough

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To the Editor:

I am a lifelong Watertown resident and proud to call this community home. It is precisely because of that pride and that history here that I feel compelled to write — on behalf of myself and many of my neighbors along East Boylston Street and Mount Auburn Street — about the ongoing construction that has disrupted our daily lives for so long that many of us can no longer remember a time when it wasn’t happening. While we understand that improving and modernizing our city’s infrastructure is no small task, and that the intentions behind this work are good, good intentions alone do not excuse poor execution. Noise and dust have become a constant, exhausting reality for those of us on East Boylston and Mount Auburn. And for some residents, the impact goes far beyond mere inconvenience.

Around Town

Parts of School Street Closed This Week as Part of Mt. Auburn Street Project

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This week drivers can expect detours and lane closures along Mt. Auburn Street, including a complete closure of a block of School Street. See more information provided by the City of Watertown, below. Milling and Paving

Milling (removal of the top layer of pavement) and paving will occur on Mount Auburn Street between Boylston Street and Chauncy Street and on School Street between Porter Street and Adams Avenue. Detours will be in place for this work.

Around Town

Parts of Mt. Auburn to be Repaved in Week of April 21-24

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The City of Watertown provided the following Mount Auburn Street Update for the week of  April 21 – April 24, 2026. No work will be performed on Monday, 4/20/2026, due to the holiday. Milling and Paving

Milling (removal of the top layer of pavement) and paving will occur on Mount Auburn Street between Boylston Street and Chauncy Street and on School Street between Porter Street and Adams Avenue. Detours will be in place for this work. Please see details belowTraffic and Sidewalk Impacts

Starting 4/21/2026 through 4/24/2026, a detour will be in place on School Street for milling and paving operations.

Around Town

Contractors Coordinating with East End Businesses Ahead of Sidewalk Replacements

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Kristopher Surette of Tighe & Bond shows the plans for the Mt. Auburn Street Project to members of the Coolidge Square business community. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Businesses in Coolidge Square will face some disruptions from the construction taking place over the spring, summer, and fall of 2026. Sidewalks will be ripped up and replaced as part of the Mt. Auburn Street Project.

Around Town

Road Construction Continues This Week on Mt. Auburn Street

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Crews will be out on Mt. Auburn Street installing drainage and making test pits along the thoroughfare this week. See exactly where in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. The Mount Auburn Street Complete Street Project is a MassDOT funded and managed initiative to fully reconstruct State Route 16, creating a safer, more accessible street for all users, whether traveling by car, bicycle, transit, or on foot. Below, you’ll find this week’s project update, including upcoming construction activities, anticipated traffic impacts, a look at the project’s final design in the area of work, and access to view more info on the projects history and details.

Around Town

Work This Week on Mt. Auburn St. Includes Drainage Installation, Test Pits

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Expect lane shifts and parking restrictions along the stretches of Mt. Auburn Street this week as construction crews work on drainage installation dig test pits. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Drainage Installation

Crews will perform drainage installation on Mount Auburn Street between Langdon Avenue and Winthrop Street. Traffic and Sidewalk Impacts

During this work, you can expect temporary lane shifts and possibly lane closures, but one travel lane in each direction will be maintained on Mount Auburn Street.

Around Town

Businesses Air Concerns with Mt. Auburn Street Construction; City Pledges Improved Communication

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Mt. Auburn Street has been under construction this year, and it will continue for a few more. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

The past several months have been tough for businesses in Coolidge Square with the road construction and utility work on Mt. Auburn Street. While the project is expected to last another three years, heavy construction is largely done until spring and City and construction officials have committed to improving communication with business owners.