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Adams Street Project Going Smoothly

By Scott MacKeen
Staff Writer
6/24/10
Construction along Adams Street is not producing the kind of headaches for commuters as was feared.

Police patrolling the detours, as well as area residents impacted by the roadwork, say the construction is running smoothly and without any major problems.

“It’s actually been fine. It’s been much better than we thought it would be,” said C. Forbes Sargent, co-chair of the Milton Hill Neighborhood Association.

The project, headed by Canton-based RJV Construction Corp. under contract with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, will modernize the aging water-main system that runs through Milton and parts of Boston. About 9,200 feet of pipelines that supply water to Milton and Quincy are being replaced.

Since April, much of Adams Street along Milton Hill has been closed during the day to motorists as heavy machines dig up the road. Police originally had expected major traffic backups to occur as commuters found alternate ways through town, including the detour along Brook Road.

Lt. Kevin Foley, who is overseeing police details during the construction, said things have been positive overall.

“It’s been going well in terms of our involvement with it,” said Foley. “I think people have become accustomed to it.”

Foley said the only minor traffic backups have occurred at Brook Road at Randolph Avenue, and Center Street at Brook Road, during the morning and evening rush hours.

In addition, some residents have been frustrated by the pace of the project, which is moving ahead of schedule and has caused some people difficulty getting into their driveways.

“[But] there haven’t been many complaints,” Foley said, adding that the project will become more challenging as it moves toward East Milton Square. “I think everyone is satisfied with it so far.”

Sargent voiced similar sentiments.

“As far as I know, everything has gone smoothly,” he said. “[The contractor and police] do a good job cleaning up every night.”

Adams Street has remained open overnight to vehicle traffic.

Cotty Peabody, secretary to the Milton Hill Neighborhood Association, said he has not received a single complaint from his neighbors as he expected he would. He said heavy traffic was predicted during a meeting in early April, at which time the MWRA outlined its plans to the neighborhood group.

“It’s been surprisingly light, from what I’ve heard,” said Peabody.

Sargent said there haven’t been noise complaints associated with the construction.

“Usually, we hear about those things,” he said.

A new phase of the construction is set to kick off soon in East Milton Square.

According to Len Cawley, an MWRA spokesman, construction activity will pick up near St. Agatha Church in the coming weeks. There, a crew will dig a large pit using a pipe-jacking technique that is meant to stabilize the ongoing installation of a new 48-inch water pipe, which will replace two aging 24-inch pipes, Cawley said. The pit will be dug near Libby Road, he said.

Cawley said that phase will be the loudest of the construction but should not result in a major disturbance.

“It’s going to be noisy,” he said. “[But] we haven’t had any major problems so far. So far, I think people have been very tolerant.”

Additional crews will work toward the East Milton Square area, which will likely be affected by July, according to the schedule.

Cawley said at least one lane of traffic in each direction will be kept open in the square during construction.

Residents seeking additional information can reach Cawley atlcawley@mwra.state.ma.us or (617) 660-7972.
(Editor J. Michael Whalen contributed to this story.)