Government

Council Approves Funds for Highland Ave. Repaving, Numbers Higher Than Planned

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The City Council approved funds to repave and install new sidewalks on Highland Avenue, but the project will cost more than originally anticipated. The total cost of the project will be $2.96 million for the project that also includes Chapman Street, said City Manager George Proakis, and $2 million will come from the loan order approved by the Council Tuesday night. The remaining funds will come from other Department of Public Works accounts. The loan is more than previous years for similar projects on longer roads in Watertown. “I recommend putting $2 million toward that this year, where we originally talked about $1.5 million,” Proakis said.

Alexandria Real Estate

Roadwork on Mt. Auburn & Arsenal Streets Could Overlap

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Two of Watertown’s major roadways in the eastern part of town are scheduled to be undergoing roadwork at the same time. On Aug. 9, the City Council approved funds to replace water mains on Mt. Auburn Street, and also accepted easements provided by properties on Arsenal Street to allow for improvements along the sidewalks. Some of the work will occur simultaneously, which concerned some Councilors, including Tony Palomba.

Government

Watertown’s Capital Budget Includes School Projects, Park Improvements & Mt. Auburn St. Funds

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Watertown Town Hall

Town Council approved $22.2 million in projects and equipment purchases as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 capital spending plan, including funds for the elementary and high school building projects, improvements to Town parks and the Mt. Auburn Street reconstruction. The plan has 33 items on it. The Town Council’s budget policy is to spend between 7.5 and 8 percent of the total Town budget on capital spending. Council Vice President Vincent Piccirilli, who is chair of the Budget & Fiscal Oversight Committee, said the figure would represent 14.02 percent of the projected Town expenditures, or 7.11 percent without the $10.9 million earmarked for the school building projects.

Around Town

Parts of Common Street Closing for Paving Project

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An illustration of the Common Street Reconstruction Project, including the roundabout at Orchard Street and a redesigned intersection at Spring Street. The Department of Public Works announced that sections of Common Street, including the rotary, will be closed while the final paving work is completed on the project. The Watertown DPW sent out the following announcement:

The Common Street project is scheduled to install top course paving on Common Street starting on Tuesday, September 8th. Work is anticipated to begin at Orchard Street and proceed towards Spring Street. To facilitate the paving, the roundabout and intersecting streets will be closed to vehicular traffic.

Around Town

Major Intersection on Arsenal St. Undergoing Repaving

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The area of Arsenal Street near School Street will be repaved beginning this week. The project, which is being overseen by Athenahealth. is slated to begin with milling (scraping off the top layer of asphalt) on Nov. 19, weather permitting. The work on Arsenal Street goes from School Street to the entrance to the recently built West Garage in the Arsenal on the Charles.

Government

Town Rebidding 2019 Road Projects, Announces Roads Being Repaired in 2020

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A road being repaired in Watertown. A higher than expected bid delayed the road repairs in Watertown in 2019, but they Town will seek to do both those roads and another eight in 2020. Tuesday night, the Town Council approved funding for construction of the 2019 projects, and also heard the recommended roads to be reconstructed in 2020. When the Town went to bid on the 2019 roads repair projects in May, only one firm bid on the work and it came in $693,000 (33.1 percent) over the $2.5 million budget, said Department of Public Works Superintendent Gerry Mee. This time, the bids will go out in December, ahead of other municipal road projects, and the work will be split up.

Around Town

Repaving Project Continuing This Week on N. Beacon St., Charles River Road

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Roads inside and outside of the Arsenal on the Charles will be repaved in early June. Roadwork will soon resume at the intersection of North Beacon Street and Charles River Road near the driveway to the Arsenal on the Charles. Athenahealth and its contractor, Charles Contracting, announced that road paving will take place in the area on Monday, March 17 and Tuesday, March 18 beginning at 9 a.m. (weather permitting). Athena owns the Arsenal on the Charles complex. Residents on that stretch of road are being asked to remove cars from driveways prior to this time “as you will not have access to driveways during this process,” the announcement said.

Department of Public Works

2019 Watertown Road Projects Delayed After Bids Come in Too High

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A slate of seven Watertown roads set to be repaved this year will likely have to wait until next spring after bids for the work came in much higher than expected. Town Manager Michael Driscoll told the Town Council on Tuesday that the bids for the 2019 Watertown street and sidewalk repair project came in and he recommends rejecting them. “There was only one bid and it was 33 percent higher than expected,” Driscoll said. The issue was referred to a joint meeting of the Town Council’s Public Works and Budget & Fiscal Oversight subcommittees to decide how to go forward. Public Works Superintendent Gerry Mee recommended that the bids go out later in the year.