Charlie Breitrose
Construction has impacted large portions of the municipal parking lot Watertown Square and will stretch past Thanksgiving.
The work on the municipal parking lot in Watertown Square, which currently has exposed cavernous holes, will not be completed on time, and will stretch at least a week past Thanksgiving.
The work will improve stormwater drainage in the area along Spring Street near the municipal parking lot behind CVS, said Town Engineer Matthew Shuman.
“The work was scheduled to be completed by Thanksgiving, but the contractor is a little behind schedule due to some unforeseen conditions, including an old building foundation,” said Shuman. “The work is now scheduled to be complete by December 5.”
Department of Public Works
These catch basins will capture rainwater and allow it to percolate into the ground, rather than having it flow into the Charles River.
The parking lot remains open, but the amount of parking has been reduced. This could impact nearby residents who park overnight in the lot during the winter parking ban, which starts on the evening of Monday, Nov. 28.
During the construction, underground chambers are being installed to capture stormwater and keep the Charles River cleaner, Shuman said.
“Stormwater from the catch basins in the lot flows into the yellow chambers, where it can slowly percolate into the ground, instead of going right into the Charles River like it does now,” Shuman said. “This process reduces the amount of runoff going to the river as well as helping remove pollutants.”
The work is being performed on behalf of The Residence at Watertown Square, the nearby senior housing building.