Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The water main that has been standing since 1960 underneath Boston Common is being revamped to fit modern standards, with a goal of increasing water quality and improving fire safety.
The Boston Water and Sewer Commission is working with a new type of piping to avoid the need to dig large holes in populated areas. The project includes not only work on the Common, but also work being done near Massachusetts General Hospital and Beacon Hill.
“It’s been a lot of logistics to try and set it up," said Project Engineer Jeremiah Waite.
The BWSC is using new technology on the worksite, which could be used on more projects in the future.
“Hopefully we can use this in other areas of town, a lot of our transmission mains are located in very busy intersections, they’d be really tough to dig. This methodology might be able to help us out,” said Ryan Shea, Director of Construction at BWSC.
Shea said the project has been in the works for about five years.
Some residents have shared frustration over the closure of a portion of the Common.
“We want as many people to know what’s going on, so there’s as little inconvenience as possible,” Stephen Mulloney, a spokesman for BWSC said.
“We have had some feedback that it is inconvenient, it is frustrating, and I totally understand it definitely is, but we are working as best as we can to maintain as much access as possible while also prioritizing safety and completing the job as quickly as we can," Waite added.
Construction on the water main started in mid-January and plans to be finished around early April.
WBZ NewsRadio’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.