DPW head: Pleasant Street reopen before winter

By Mike Berger

With more than 50 percent of the Reservoir Pond dam repair project now completed and approved by the state, DPW Superintendent Mike Trotta estimates that Pleasant Street could reopen sometime within the next two to five weeks.

Long lines have become the norm for Canton motorists since the closure of Pleasant Street in September. (Michelle Stark photo)

Trotta pegged the end of Thanksgiving week (Nov. 23-24) as the best-case scenario with a more probable reopening date of mid December or sooner.

Pleasant Street has been closed to through traffic for dam repair work since the week of Labor Day and traffic has been rerouted mainly along Sherman and Washington streets. Residents still have access to the Canton Senior Center on Pleasant Street via Sherman Street, and to Pequitside Farm, the Earl Newhouse Waterfront, and the Parks and Recreation offices via Washington Street.

The original projected reopening date for Pleasant Street was mid to late November, and the contractor is still close to that timeline despite contending with wet weather and water main problems. Trotta said the contractor has been willing to work on Saturdays, but the recent weekends have produced more rain than expected.

Trotta said the immediate goal is to have Pleasant Street reopened before the start of the winter storm season. The section of Pleasant Street around the dam from Pequitside Farm to 110 Pleasant Street will be repaved before the road reopens. Trotta said that if needed, minor punch list items could be postponed until the spring, but any remaining work would not necessitate the closure of the road.

Trotta said the contractor is working to prevent uncontrolled seepage of water at the dam and also to replace drains. Previous repairs were completed in 2012 by the pond and dam’s former owner, the Napleton Co., but engineers from the town’s consulting firm, Stephens Associates, found that the repairs did not fully address the seepage issues. Selectmen have met in executive session several times over the past two years in an attempt to reach a settlement with Napleton over dam repair costs.

To date, state dam inspectors have approved completion milestones of 25 and 50 percent of the project. Trotta said state inspectors and DPW officials are checking the work on a daily basis.

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