A Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) project to repair a water main within Boston Common has been met with dissatisfaction from some officials and residents, who say there was no communication ahead of the work’s January start.

The water main, a 48-inch diameter steel pipe installed in 1960, is one of the largest in Boston and in need of long-term repair, according to project details from BWSC.

The commission established a construction zone for the work, fencing and barricading the Common’s Beacon Street Mall, closing the area to pedestrian access. But officials say there was no advance notification given about the project.

Colin Zick, president of the Beacon Hill Civic Association, said there was an “utter lack of communication.”

“We understand that there’s a BWSC project that needs to take place, and that’s completely understandable,” Zick said. “What is impossible to understand is the complete lack of notice to any of the relevant stakeholders.”

In the wake of the absence of communication, members of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and BWSC officials met on Tuesday. Also joining were Friends of the Public Garden, as well as City Councilor Sharon Durkan, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the city’s permitting department.

The meeting aimed to make sure the commission’s communications process is transparent and smoothed out as the project continues, according to Stephen Mulloney of the BWSC.

Zick said the meeting was a “start.”

“Hopefully there will be better communication with the Boston Water and Sewer Commission as we go forward,” Zick said.

Durkan could not be reached for comment. The project is expected to be completed in April. With the construction zone stretching through the Common along Beacon Street, access at Charles and Park Streets remains open while side stairway entrances at Spruce, Walnut and Joy Streets are closed.

State Representative Jay Livingstone said BWSC “provided the public no warning or heads-up that that was going to happen.”

Livingstone said he had heard complaints about the closures and that he didn’t learn about the project until he attempted to enter Boston Common on January 13 and was met with a barricade. “There was no communication with the public or with elected officials about the closing before it happened,” Livingstone said. The repair work was scheduled in coordination with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, according to BWSC. “Communication is critical with projects of this nature,” Mulloney said.

In addition to the lack of communication before the project began, Zick said signage to direct pedestrians “was completely inadequate.” The result was “desire lines” in the Common, as those on foot, looking for the easiest alternative routes, walked on the park’s turf and around the base of trees, according to Zick. “This is eminently predictable, and there were no actions taken to prevent it from happening,” Zick said. “The result is, already, damage to the Common which the BWSC should be financially responsible for.” A walk-through of the Common to look for ways to improve signage was planned during the meeting, according to Zick.