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October - Construction Update

Welcome back to the City of Somerville's construction newsletter!

A front loader truck is dressed as a monster for halloween with a green cape, big teeth, and googly eyes.

BOOOO! Construction can be scary, but it doesn't have to be.

We're here to keep you informed about all the work happening around the City to maintain and improve our built environment--whether it's looking into design work on the City's next new school building or explaining why curbs are shifting on West Broadway and Western Pearl.

As always, if you have any questions about the work described in this email (or any work in the city) please don't hesitate to reach out to us at construction@somervillema.gov.

What We're Sharing This Month:

West Broadway Reconstruction Reaches Teele Square
Curb Extensions on Western Pearl Street
Elm-Beacon Connector - Mossland Neighborway
115 Sycamore Street New School Building Project - Nov. 10 Community Forum
Annual Sewer and Storm Drain Inspection Program
Subterranean Somerville - Connecting Stormwater Management Projects
Keeping up to date
We can’t cover all the work in one newsletter

West Broadway Reconstruction Reaches Teele Square

West Broadway’s (Teele Square to Alewife Brook Parkway) new street design is beginning to take shape as sidewalk crews approach the western limit of the project at Teele Square.

New granite curbing has been installed as work on the first segments of sidewalk-level, protected bike lane is underway.

A protected bike lane is seen under construction on Broadway facing east toward Teele Square

Work in progress alongside the final design concept - Intersection of Broadway/Farragut/Russell

New curbing installed as part of a future crossing on Broadway

Work in progress alongside the final design concept - Southside of Broadway between Endicott and Weston

Alongside the protected bike lane and new sidewalks, crews are installing a “floating bus stop” on the eastern side of the intersection of Broadway and Weston Avenue.

Crews will continue sidewalk reconstruction through the fall as weather allows. Once colder temperatures prohibit installation of new concrete, crews will break for the winter season and resume work in the spring. Construction of raised crossings and final repaving of the new roadway is currently expected to be completed by summer 2027.

Learn More and View the Final Design

Western Pearl Street Redesign

Installing curb extensions to shorten crossings

The City is rebuilding Pearl Street between McGrath Highway and Medford Street, implementing a new street design to make the street safer, increase accessibility, and provide a more comfortable experience for everyone.

Crews on Pearl Street are working east to west, rebuilding sidewalks, and are approaching the western project limit at Medford Street. At intersections throughout the project area, the new street design is taking shape as new curb extensions are installed.

A curb extension is seen on Pearl Street facing west toward Gilman Sq. and MBTA bus is driving toward the camera

Curb extension at the intersection of Wigglesworth Street and Pearl Street.

Section of curb extended into the parking lane on Beacon Street with greenery inside

What is a curb extension?

Curb extensions extend the curb into the parking lane and shorten the distance required to cross the street.

They also prevent people from parking too close to the intersection, improving safety by making people crossing more visible to people driving or biking. Learn more at somervillema.gov/trafficcalming.

Crews will continue rebuilding sidewalks on Pearl Street as weather allows. Once temperatures are too cold for sidewalk work, crews will turn their attention to some drainage features before breaking for the winter season.

Project Webpage

Elm-Beacon Connector - Mossland Neighborway

Earlier this month, as part of the Elm-Beacon Connector project, City contractors and staff worked to convert Mossland Street into a "Neighborway," which is a walk- and bike-friendly street designed to lower vehicle volumes and speeds while prioritizing the experience of local residents.

This work transformed Mossland Street into a two-way street with a dead-end at the intersection of Elm Street for motor vehicles which may enter/exit the street via Somerville Avenue.

Trucks and cones are seen signaling that Mossland is closed at Elm Street

Temporary barriers set up to facilitate the dead-ending of Mossland Street.

Does this picture look familiar? If so, you probably receive our Mobility Division's Monthly Newsletter (If not, you can sign up here.)

Signal equipment upgrades and timing changes, based on extensive traffic analysis, are currently underway to support this change.

More About the Elm Beacon Connector

115 Sycamore Street New School Building Project

Attend our November 10 Community Forum

At its October Board Meeting, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) voted to formally approve the project’s advancement into the Schematic Design phase. Schematic design is the part of the process where the finer details of the building’s design are determined. This is another significant step forward in the work to deliver a new school for the Somerville community.

Want to learn more and share your perspectives on the project?

All are invited to attend an upcoming community forum about the City's New School Building project at 115 Sycamore Street:

Time and Date: Tuesday, November 10, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Location: Somerville High School, Highlander Forum, 81 Highland Avenue

What to expect at the forum

During this meeting Mayor Wilson and Superintendent Carmona will speak to the City and District’s shared vision for the project, which is informed both by community process as well as district needs.

Project architects, Perkins Eastman, will then present the preferred design option for the project, which was submitted to the state in late August--providing an overview of how the building will support the diverse learning needs of Somerville’s students and incorporate a range of community priorities into the design.

Rendering of concept design for new school building; different floors ae labelled to indicated which grades they will serve

The preferred option for the new school building project at 115 Sycamore Street.

The design team will provide an overview of the process moving forward with particular emphasis on the next phase of the process: schematic design. This design phase is when we move from general plans to incorporating a much higher degree of detail into the plan.

Following presentations, there will be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss. Community members can share their thoughts on how the building can best serve our students as well as express any concerns they might have.

The information and feedback gathered will be used by the City’s project team and architects to help inform design efforts and work moving forward.

Light refreshments -- pizza and snacks -- will be served.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at newschool@somervillema.gov.

Learn More About the New School Building Project

Annual Sewer and Storm Drain Inspection Program

Somerville has a complex network of more than 180 miles of sewer and storm drainage pipes located beneath our streets–much of this network is more than 100 years old. These pipes must be regularly cleaned and inspected so we can identify areas in need of repair before any issues arise.

Next week, as part of this work, city contractors will be performing overnight sewer and storm drain cleaning at locations around the City as part of the City’s Annual Sewer and Storm Drain Inspection Program.

Locations of Work (Week of 11/1)

Broadway (Hill St. to Boston Ave.)	Norfolk St. (Cambridge City line to Webster Ave.)
Elm St. (Day St. to Cedar St.)	Newton St. (Concord Ave. to Prospect St.)
Cedar St. (Murdock St. to Morrison Ave.)	Washington St. (Pickney St. to Myrtle St., Webster St. to Parker St.)
Franey Rd. (Intersection of Charles E. Ryan Rd. and Franey Rd.)	Holland St. (Winter St. to Dover St.)
Lowell St. (Medford St. to Richardson St.)	Winslow Ave. (Villa Ave. to Clifton St.)

How it Works

To learn more about this work see the process video below:

Project Website

Subterranean Somerville:

Connecting Stormwater Management Projects

This past June we highlighted a key project milestone on the Poplar Street Pump Station--installing the pumps.

During heavy storms these pumps will play a key role and move stormwater from the pump station to the nearby drainage system underneath the MBTA’s Green Line tracks.

But what about the connection between our exisiting drainage system and the pump station?

A large concrete stormwater culvert attached to a crane is guided into place by a worker

Stormwater culverts being installed under Somerville Avenue.

Crews working within a trench box to install new drainage features.

New drainage infrastructure being installed at the corner of Highland Ave./Central St. in 2023

Another key step in this project is to connect the pump station to a large portion of the City’s stormwater drainage network, including large box culverts installed underneath Somerville Avenue and the recently completed Spring Hill Sewer Separation project.

This connection will add significant drainage storage capacity to our system—helping to mitigate flooding and reduce combined sewer overflows. The work highlights the interconnectedness of our underground infrastructure and how work in one neighborhood can benefit residents across the city.

Learn more about this trio of projects as well as the City's master plan for mitigating flooding and improving water quality.

Poplar Street Pump Station

Spring Hill Sewer Separation

Somerville Utility and Streetscapes

Drainage and Water Quality Master Plan

Stay Up to Date on Citywide Construction Projects

There is a lot of work being done in Somerville as we look to modernize and improve our city’s infrastructure, and we can’t cover it all in one email.

Stay up-to-date with what’s going on in your neighborhood and around the city via the following channels:

Visit our construction page - A comprehensive look at work across the city.

Have questions?

Get in touch

Want to learn more about these projects? Or have questions about work in your neighborhood?

construction@somervillema.gov

Language and Accessibility

To request translation or an interpreter in your language, please contact the Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or by calling 311.

ADA icon with four sections depicting ASL mobility TTY and CART services

Persons with disabilities can request accommodations to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville by contacting the ADA Coordinator at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov in advance of the event.