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

Happy Halloween! Construction can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. 

We’re here to share the latest and shed light on all the work being undertaken to maintain and improve critical infrastructure, from roadways and sidewalks to playgrounds and sewers, across the City. 

What We're Sharing This Month: 

• Spring Hill Sewer Separation Fall Community Meeting
• Streetscape Improvements in West Somerville
• Final Touches on Pearl St. (And Nearby Intersections)
• An Eventful October on Central Hill
• Final Segment of the Community Path Extension Opens
• Reavis Field Ribbon Cutting
• Subterranean Somerville: Combined vs. Separated Sewers

Join us on Monday, November 13 at 6 p.m. for a virtual community meeting to learn about recent progress on the Spring Hill Sewer Separation project as well as a preview of what lies ahead. 

Meeting will include: 

• A review of planned streetscape improvements throughout the neighborhood
• Overview of sewer/drainage utility upgrades along Summer Street between School Street and Bow Street.
• Q&A session with the project team.

Upcoming Paving and Utility Work around the Neighborhood

Meanwhile work continues around the neighborhood with utility work and paving planned through November.

• Highland Ave. Utility Services and Eastbound Detour- Crews will be installing water/sewer services along Highland Ave. east of School St. beginning 11/1 or soon after.
• Eastbound Highland Ave. vehicle detour to be reinstated for approx. 2-3 weeks.

• Summer St. Intersection Paving - During the week of October 30, crews will be paving intersections and starting to build raised crossings along Summer St. between Spring St. and Preston Rd.
• Intersections being paved include Spring St., Benton Rd./Harvard St., Carter Terr., Laurel St., Greene St., and Preston Rd. 

• School St. (Summer St. to Highland Ave.) Paving - Crews are preparing to pave a preliminary binder course of asphalt on School St., following successful installation of new utilities. 
• This work is currently tentatively scheduled for the week of November 6

Progress on Davis Square Sidewalks

Since early September, City Contractors have been working to install new sidewalks around Davis Sq. 

Recently, crews have been making their way along Elm St. in the heart of Davis Square--providing a safer, more accessible sidewalk for residents and the many visitors to our neighborhood shops and restaurants. 

Powder House Blvd. and Alewife Brook Pkwy Intersection Redesign

Our intersection redesign project continues with the installation of a separated cycle track along Powder House Blvd. between North St. and Alewife Brook Pwky.

Crews are aiming to complete installation/electrification of the new traffic signal and lighting this fall before breaking for the winter.

Since final paving took place on Pearl St. this past August, City contractors have been working to put the finishing touches on the City’s Pearl Street (and nearby intersections) project.

Raised Crossing at

Walnut St./Gilman St.

Starting this week City contractors will begin construction of a raised crossing at the intersection of Walnut St. and Gilman. 

Raised crosswalks make crossing the street safer and more comfortable for everyone. Since they are elevated (roughly to sidewalk height), people driving must slow down as they approach the crossing.

Source: NACTO

Flexi-pave on Pearl St. Sidewalks

Crews have begun installing flexi-pave sidewalk panels behind large trees along Pearl St. Flexi-pave is a permeable alternative to standard concrete sidewalk panels that allows water to pass through helping keep our street trees healthy. 

Flexi-pave provides a safe surface for people using the sidewalk. As trees and their roots grow, flexi-pave surfaces can bend without breaking unlike concrete which can cleave and create hazard conditions. 

In case you missed it, October was a big month around Somerville’s Central Hill.

Final Segment of Community Path Extension Now Open

First, the final segment of the Community Path Extension between School St. and the Gilman Square Green Line station entrance at Medford St opened. This segment of the community path had been closed since May to accommodate safe construction of the new Somerville High School Phillip Reavis, Sr. Field.

In the interest of safety, the two-way bicycle lane on School St. will remain in place to provide a safe connection for people riding between the community path and Gilman Square. 

Ribbon Cutting and Dedication Ceremony for New Phillip Reavis, Sr. Field

Last Thursday, the City, Somerville Public Schools, along with Phil Reavis himself cut the ribbon at the new Philip Reavis, Sr. Field at Somerville High School. 

The new 45,000 square foot practice field consists of an artificial turf with a natural wood infill. It is an engineering feat built in the area of a former steep slope behind the high school and adjacent to the new Gilman Square MBTA stop.

The field is named in honor of Somerville High School athlete, class of 1954, and U.S. Olympian, Phillip Reavis Sr. In addition to his many achievements on the track as a high jumper, Phillip Reavis Sr. was a dedicated member of the Somerville community and a determined advocate for youth—working as a teacher at Western Junior High School, mentoring local students, and running programming through the City’s Recreation Commission.

Illustration of Combined Sewer (Citywide Flood Mitigation and Water Quality Master Plan)

In most cases, Somerville’s combined sewers transport all wastewater and stormwater collected to the MWRA’s Deer Island wastewater treatment plant. However, when a large storm overwhelms the combined sewer the system can discharge to a nearby body of water (this is known as a combined sewer overflow). 

Illustration of Separated Sewer (Citywide Flood Mitigation and Water Quality Master Plan)

Sewer separation (like the one currently underway on Spring Hill) is a highly effective tool for both improving water quality and mitigating flooding.

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: 

• Sign up for City Alerts - Receive important notifications about work in your area.

• Follow us on Twitter - Tweets about curb-cuts, culverts, and more.

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

Language and Accessibility