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

August is coming to an end and school will soon be back in session. This month we're looking back on final paving along Pearl St., ahead to new sidewalks in Davis, and sharing the latest infrastructure improvements around the city.

What We're Sharing This Month: 

• New Sidewalks Coming to Davis Square
• Freshly Paved Pearl Street
• Spring Hill Sewer Separation Update
• What is CIPP lining?
• New School Year, New Schoolyards
• Subterranean Somerville: Under Summer Street's New Sidewalks

The City is working to increase safety and enhance mobility for everyone traveling around Davis Square. Upcoming work will deliver new sidewalks, improved crosswalks, and ADA-compliant curb ramps.

Reconstructed sidewalks will consist of concrete panels with brick accents. Concrete sidewalks increase safety and mobility for people of all ages and abilities.

Work is currently expected to begin this September or soon after. Visit the project page to learn more and stay up to date as construction progresses.

City contractors began installing street paint last week and will continue over the coming days.

Visit our project page to see the improvements that have been made throughout the neighborhood over the course of this project.

Despite a summer of wet weather, crews made great progress installing new utilities (water, sewer, and drainage) along Highland Ave. between School St. and Walnut St. Weather permitting, crews are expected to complete installation of mainline utilities early next week.

Following completion of the mainline utility installation, crews will begin installing water services (connections between individuals properties and the new utilities). This work can be completed with smaller, more concentrated work zones and will not require the full eastbound detour to be in place. Instead lane shifts will enable traffic to proceed around the work zone in both directions.

Elsewhere on Spring Hill, work will continue into the fall with ongoing utility upgrades on School St. and sidewalk installation and other streetscape improvements on Summer St. 

Just like any other infrastructure or equipment, our sewers require regular upkeep and rehabilitation in order to function effectively. This regular upkeep is undertaken through the City’s Sewer Pipeline and Manhole Rehabilitation program which uses a range of methods to maintain our system.

The City’s contractor will begin to employ one of these methods, cured-in-place pipe lining, as early as this week at the below locations: 

• Partridge Ave. (Broadway to Vernon St.)
• Sycamore St. (Pembroke St. to Richdale Ave.)
• Bartlett St. (Medford St. to Robinson St.)
• Oakland Ave. (School St. to Marshall St.)
• Wesley St. (Pearl St. to Otis St.)

Cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining, commonly known as “sewer lining,” is a method of sewer repair. It is a cost-effective and non-invasive process that involves inserting a soft plastic liner inside a pipe, then curing (hardening) the liner with pressurized steam. The liner forms a smooth surface inside the existing pipe, restoring it to near-new condition. 

Visit the program page to learn more about sewer rehabilitation and see where work is expected to take place this year. 

Arthur D. Healey Schoolyard 

Schoolyard renovation is complete at the Healey School. The revitalized schoolyard and Joe Mackey Field offer state-of-the-art amenities, including modern play structures, a sports field, inviting green spaces, dozens of new trees, and an accessible ramp connecting the schoolyard to the Mystic Housing Development. Final punch list items, including new plantings, are expected to be completed this September. 

Benjamin G. Brown Schoolyard

After a summer of construction, the renovated schoolyard at the Brown School will be available for students and staff for the first day of school. The new design features a small synthetic turf field, basketball and wall ball courts, as well as significant improvements to the surface and subsurface drainage.

West Somerville Neighborhood Schoolyard

The upper schoolyard will be ready for students upon their return. Work on the lower schoolyard is ongoing and this space is expected to be completed this September. Play structures, turf surfaces, the new wood decks and balcony, lighting, sidewalks, and new tree installations are all near completion.

This new irrigation system promotes tree and plant health by improving the efficiency of watering maintenance. In addition to street trees, this system will support planned green stormwater infrastructure (bioretention basins and planting areas).

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.

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