Watertown officials give timeline for Main Street bridge work; temporary closures planned

Watertown Common Council members were given a schedule update for Main Street bridge reconstruction during their Jan. 7 meeting, including the arrival of large concrete girders and planned temporary traffic interruptions.

City staff reported that an abutment foundation that had been re-poured will not affect the project's timeline and that bridge girders are expected to arrive Jan. 14 and Jan. 15. "They should be coming next week," the presiding officer said; "the majority of them will arrive on 14th. 2 will arrive on 15th." The council was told deliveries will occur in daytime hours as the massive trailers enter the city and back into the site, and police will assist with traffic control.

The council was told that temporary closures will affect Main and Church and will extend westward to about Montgomery Street while the trailers and equipment move through. Property owners in the immediate block received hand-delivered letters before Christmas explaining timing and contact information. Staff said sidewalks, curb and gutter and roadway pavement in the affected east 100 block will be removed and replaced; on the day sidewalks are removed a temporary pedestrian walkway will be installed to maintain access.

Officials also said curb, sidewalk and asphalt work was planned for late the week of the meeting or early the following week and that schedule details may shift. "The schedule sometimes is fluid," the presiding officer said. Staff identified the businesses in the affected east 100 block as the barbershop, Blue Butterfly, the B and B, a cup White Oak and a hair salon.

No formal action was taken; the council received the update and took questions from members about timing and impacts.