Canton braces for busy road construction season

The warm weather has arrived and summer is drawing near, which is good news for Canton schoolchildren but not necessarily for local motorists.

For the lazy days of summer also happen to be the peak of the outdoor construction season, and over the next several months there are several major roadway projects planned in Canton.

Some of that work is already underway, including gas main projects on York Street and Neponset Street near the viaduct, as well as a major water main replacement project in the Mechanic/Bailey Street section of town. Additionally, a redesign of the Chapman/Washington Street intersection was slated to begin this week, and work at Dedham/Washington Street is expected to get underway in the coming weeks. Both the Chapman and Dedham projects are being financed by the developer of University Station in Westwood as part of a mitigation agreement with the town.

Other upcoming roadway projects slated for summer 2016 include the continuation of a gas main replacement on Washington Street near Canton High School and a major rehabilitation/repaving project on Pleasant Street that is expected to begin around the Fourth of July and last for a few weeks.

Regarding the gas main work, Chavonne Baldwin, a spokesperson for Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, said all three big projects in Canton (Neponset, York, Washington) are part of a long-range infrastructure modernization effort across the region that will span the next 20 or so years.

“We’ve set out to remove all of the bare steel and cast iron in our system and replace that with plastic pipe,” Baldwin said.

She estimated that the Neponset and York Street projects would last another four to six weeks while the second phase of the Washington Street replacement would begin sometime this summer.

Of the two ongoing projects, the work on Neponset Street has had the greater impact, which was to be expected considering its proximity to a major interstate (Route 95) and the downtown business district. The work has progressed from north to south through the viaduct and is currently near the Plymouth Rubber site and heading toward Norfolk Street.

The permit allows for work to take place between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., but on a few occasions crews have worked past the permitted hours to make the road safe at nighttime with the approval of the Police Department.

As for the Chapman/Washington intersection project, the work is being done by a private contractor, D.W. White Construction, and was scheduled to commence on Wednesday, May 18.

The redesign calls for the installation of new pedestrian lights and a “smart” traffic light that will be synchronized with the existing Dedham/Washington light; elimination of the small island at the beginning of Chapman Street; widened shoulders for bicyclists; and a new lane for vehicles making a right-hand turn onto Washington Street.

DPW Superintendent Mike Trotta said the entire project, which will cost $300,000 and be paid for out of the University Station mitigation account, will take approximately 10 weeks to complete.

Meanwhile, another University Station mitigation project, widening and drainage work at the Dedham/Washington Street intersection, is also expected to get underway soon. That project will cost approximately $380,000 and includes the addition of left- and right-hand turn lanes from Dedham Street; installation of granite curbing; and the addition of trees, shrubs, and new signage.

Trotta said the goal with both the Chapman and Dedham Street projects is to maintain two-lane traffic flow, albeit with alternating lanes at times. However, he said there is also a detour plan that’s being discussed with the Police Department and the Board of Selectmen. “That will be more of a game-time decision,” said Trotta. “We’ll keep an eye on it and see how it goes.”

Regarding the water works project on and around Mechanic and Bailey streets, Trotta said the existing cast-iron water mains in that part of Canton are “some of the oldest pipes in the town” and will be replaced with new ductile iron pipes. Residents will have temporary, above-ground water connections while the work is being done. Trotta characterized it as a major undertaking and estimated that the project will not be complete until Thanksgiving time.

Lastly, Trotta said there are various paving projects on the schedule, including current paving work on Lawrence and Leonard Streets. The biggest impact, he said, will be on Pleasant Street, where all of the asphalt will be removed before the road is regraded and then repaved. He estimated that the work will take a “couple of weeks” and would likely be completed during the month of July.

Trotta said the DPW does its best to keep the public informed of all roadway construction and encouraged residents to visit the “News and Announcements” section at town.canton.ma.us for regular updates.

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Posted by Jay Turner on May 19 2016. Filed under News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.