They Work At Night: Belmont Center Road Work Starts Monday

Beginning today and lasting for the next 16 weeks, Belmont Center's Leonard Street will be the epicenter for one of the most extensive water main replacement projects in the center's history. 

The work will replace century-old water pipes in preparation for the reconstruction of Belmont Center roadways and parking in 2014, according to DPW Director Peter Castanino earlier this year.

But due to the Center's nature of being the business "hub" of Belmont, the Public Works Department will be limiting actively digging up the center from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.

During the night, traffic will be limited to one-lane. 

Once the work is complete, Belmont can then approach the state for a grant to help pay for the Center's new streets and sidewalks, significantly reducing town expenditures for the project.  

After the water pipes are replaced, National Grid personnel will remove existing gas lines and install new pipes. 

The first two sections – Pleasant Street from Pleasant Street to Concord Avenue and Concord Avenue from Pleasant Street to the Underwood Pool at Cottage Road  – will take between eight-to-ten weeks, lasting until late June.

Since the work will mean digging trenches and removal of the roadway which will require closing the road to through traffic and preventing on-street parking, Castanino told the Board the work will take place under the stars from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday to minimize the impact of the work.

Castanino said businesses, restaurants, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority – two bus lines run through the Center – and nearby homeowners have been presented with an outline of the town's and National Grid work schedule. 

While most retail operators are closed by 8 p.m., many of the town's restaurants and eateries do stay open for two to four hours into the work "night." Yet Castanino said the DPW will work with all businesses to minimize the effect of the work. 

While work is being done overnight at the two major roadways, similar infrastructure work on Channing Road (from Leonard and Cross streets) and Alexander Avenue (Pleasant and Claflin streets) will take place during daytime hours from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.