Beacon St. Construction Begins, Meeting May 13

BEACON STREET CONSTRUCTION BEGINS,
COMMUNITY MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 13

Important sewer and utility work to last approximately
9 months in preparation for full streetscape improvements later this year.

SOMERVILLE
– As the City prepares for the long-awaited Beacon Street reconstruction
project, a public meeting to discuss upcoming work and overall improvements to
the corridor will be held on Tuesday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Argenziano
School, 290 Washington St. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann
Heuston, and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD)
invite members of the community to the meeting to hear about updates to the
project’s design since the 25% design submission and timeline for construction.

Important
sewer and utility work is already underway on Beacon Street. At the public
meeting on May 13, the public will hear updates on the project plans for a
vastly improved road surface, a dedicated cycletrack, new crosswalks, traffic, pedestrian
signals, and more than 175 trees.

“Somerville
is one of the most walkable and bikeable communities in the nation, and while we
have made tremendous improvements in safety, infrastructure and accessibility
measures for walking, cycling, and all other modes of transportation, we
recognize that there is still a lot of work to be done. Beacon Street is a
prime example,” said Mayor Curtatone. “For years, residents, businesses,
activists and City officials have worked diligently to see that these necessary
improvements are made to the Beacon Street corridor, which not only serves our
residents but hundreds of thousands of multi-modal commuters throughout the
region on an annual basis. We are proud to finally say: ‘Let’s break ground.’”

“As
Somerville increasingly becomes a destination city, our community and our
businesses are gaining regional and national recognition for the work we are
doing, and our roads and infrastructure should not only serve as a grand
welcome to those visitors, but they need to be safe and friendly to our own
residents each and every day,” said Alderman Heuston. “I am glad to see Beacon
Street, and Ward 2, receiving the improvements we have waited so long for, and
I want to thank the state and MassDOT for allocating the funding to get this
project started.”

The Federal Highway Administration, via
an earmark for the project secured by Congressman Michael Capuano and MassDOT
have set aside funding for the reconstruction of Beacon Street. Working with
the City of Somerville, the intent of the project is to design a
state-of-the-art roadway that increases the access, safety and mobility for all
modes of travel in the corridor. 

Updates will be posted on the City
website at www.somervillema.gov/alerts/detours-and-construction-updates,
and http://www.somervillema.gov/beaconstreet.