A three-year-long project to replace underground pipe infrastructure will begin on Beacon Hill in the coming days, The Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC), which manages the city’s underground pipes, contracted the project to Albanese D&S, a Dracut-based contractor specializing in utilities, excavation and road construction, according to the company’s website.
Albanese D&S will replace or repair water, sewer and drainpipes on much of Beacon Hill and throughout a bit of the Back Bay. The contractor will replace about 2,500 feet of sewer pipes while repairing 4,000 feet of sewer and 9,200 feet of water main pipes, a recent newsletter from the Beacon Hill Civic Association reported. The work will entail excavating streets one block at a time, which will require detours.
According to Thomas Bagley, director of communications for BWSC, Albanese D&S will start its work in the next week or two. The project will last “well into 2027,” he said.
The first streets to undergo construction will be Revere Street from Storrow Drive to Grove Street, West Cedar Street from Cambridge Street to Chestnut Street, and Charles Street from Cambridge Street to Blossom Street.
The contractor will also work on the following streets at some point over the next three years, Grove Street from Phillips Street to Cambridge Street, Beacon Street from Charles Street to Park Street, Phillips Street from West Cedar Street to Irving Street, Pinckney Street from Louisburg Square to Joy Street, Garden Street from Phillips Street to Cambridge Street, Willow Street from Mount Vernon Street to Chestnut Street, and Blossom Street from Charles Street to Cambridge Street.
“The overall project objective in this historic part of Boston is to continue to ensure the delivery of high-quality water for consumption, fire protection, the efficient collection of sewage for transport and delivery to MWRA’s treatment facility,” Bagley said. Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), the state agency responsible for water and sewer services in Greater Boston.
Bagley said that the project is expected to cost about $22 million.
State Representative Jay Livingstone, whose 8th Suffolk district includes Beacon Hill, said he is glad to see Boston directing resources to Beacon Hill’s pipes, which are some of the oldest in the city.
“Some of the infrastructure is very old and needs to be replaced, so I’m glad Boston is doing it,” Livingstone said.
At some points around Louisburg Square, he gave as an example, sidewalks dip down a few inches because of outdated, collapsed sewer pipes. Livingstone noted that he had not heard about collapsed pipes leaking sewage, but avoiding such a problem is why the upcoming construction is necessary.
“Boston Water and Sewer generally does a great job, and I have confidence that they’re making appropriate changes to the sewer system on Beacon Hill,” Livingstone added.
