Temporary fencing on Common for BWSC project expected to remain in place until April

By Dan Murphy

With the Boston Water and Sewer Commission relining one of the main lines that runs beneath the Boston Common, fencing has gone up around the park’s Beacon Street Mall, which is expected to remain there until sometime in April.

This project is intended “to repair and rehabilitate a critical drinking water transmission main – an existing 48-inch diameter steel pipe was originally installed in 1960 and is in need of long-term repair, according to the BWSC. One of the largest water mains in the Boston, the line provides “service redundancy” to significant parts of the city, including Beacon Hill and West End.

Due to the size and scope of the existing water main, significant construction equipment is needed to perform the work, according to the BWSC, so for public safety reasons, a  ‘permanent work zone,’ with fences and barricades, has been established within the Beacon Street Mall.

Park access is still open at the park’s Charles and Park street entrances, but four side-street stairway entrances, including at Spruce, Walnut, and Joy streets, are closed for the duration of the project. The  project, according to BWSC, has been scheduled in coordination with the Boston Parks and Recreation Department in an effort to minimize public impacts.

After the project wraps up , “all impacted areas of pavement and landscaping will be restored to pre-construction conditions,” according to the BWSC.