The Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for managing the Town’s infrastructure assets, including its roads, intersections, water and sewer utilities, and drainage systems. Capital planning activities include programming and implementation of the Town’s Pavement Management Plan, Water System Study, and various sewer studies. The DPW also manages the Town’s annual road reconstruction program and is responsible for long term planning on corridors such as Common Street and Mount Auburn Street. Please monitor this section for project-specific updates.

Common Street Road Reconstruction 

The goal of this project is to provide a “complete streets” approach to the Common Street corridor to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, improve traffic operations, and increase safety at the five-legged intersection of Common Street, Orchard Street, and Church Street.

Upper Waverley Ave. (Orchard Street to Belmont Street)           

The Town will be reconstructing Upper Waverley Ave., between Orchard Street and Belmont Street, in 2021.  As part of the design process, the different alternatives are being reviewed to provide a Complete Streets treatment to the corridor. 

Watertown Community Path

The Watertown Community Path is a proposed multi-use path that will provide pedestrians and bicyclists with a safe and easily accessible route through much of Watertown.

Mount Auburn Street Complete Streets Project

The Town of Watertown is redesigning Mount Auburn Street to improve safety and better accommodate vehicles, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians.

Watertown Complete Streets Program

A Complete Street is one that provides safe and accessible options for all travel modes – walking, biking, transit, and motorized vehicles – for people of all ages and abilities. Designing streets with these principles contributes toward the safety, health, economic viability and quality of life in a community by improving the pedestrian and vehicular environments and providing safer, more accessible and comfortable means of travel between home, school, work, recreation and retail destinations.

Annual Road Program

DPW presents a list of roads to the Town Council for reconstruction each fall.  Roadway reconstruction includes not just the roadway surface, but also new granite curbing, concrete sidewalks, and accessible ramps.  This page includes presentations, concept plans, and construction information. 

Belmont Street Reconstruction Project (Mt Auburn Street to #88 Belmont Street)

This is a joint project with the City of Cambridge, which has care and control of the roadway.  The Town will be contributing to the project by reconstructing sidewalks on the Watertown side of the street. The work is part of the City of Cambridge Complete Streets initiative to design and operate streets that are safe for all users including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and public transit users.

2020 Sewer System Improvement Program

The Town of Watertown is undertaking a sanitary sewer improvement project  including the installation of approximately 16,000 feet of cured-in-place (CIP) sewer pipe. This is commonly known as sewer lining. This process allows the contractor to reconstruct certain sections of badly deteriorated sewer “in place” rather than the traditional disruptive method of excavating and replacing the existing pipes.

2020 Water Main Replacement Program

The Town annually and proactively replaces water mains whose age and condition make them vulnerable to unexpected service interruptions and costly repairs.  Construction updates are presented here.