Waltham's Lexington Street To See 'Substantial' Detour

WALTHAM, MA — Officials are warning residents that a "substantial" detour is set to begin this week in Waltham.

Starting on Tuesday, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority will create a Lexington Street detour continuing into fall 2024 for southbound traffic during construction hours.

MWRA officials said traffic to the high school, middle school and YMCA will be allowed to travel southbound, and the street will remain open to northbound traffic during construction hours.

Lexington Street will reopen southbound at about 7 p.m. during each workday, officials said.

When completed, the pipeline extension will see a new water main and appurtenances extending from MWRA’s Meter 182 at the Waltham and Lexington town line, down Lexington Street to Totten Pond Road, where it will connect to Waltham’s water system.

"This connection will provide a new redundant water supply to Waltham’s Prospect Hill Service area from the NEH pressure zone and to MWRA’s Lexington Street Pumping Station. In an emergency, the pipeline will provide a partial water supply to MWRA’s NEH pressure zone from the Lexington Pumping Station," MWRA officials said.

The project is still slated to be finished by winter 2024 or spring 2025.