Wellesley’s Department of Public Works has been trying to give an overdue makeover to Weston Road, the busy north-south strip, for the past couple of years. Unfortunately, the town’s going to have to hold off until 2025.
DPW Director David Cohen suggested as much at the Feb. 12 Board of Public Works meeting (see Wellesley Media recording at 1-hour, 45-minute mark), and told The Swellesley Report today he will confirm that at this Monday’s meeting (March 11).
In February, Cohen shared what he described as “unfortunate news,” after National Grid informed the town it had additional work to do this summer at the north end of Weston Road. Following that meeting Cohen was to gather with his team, but said at the Board meeting that it looked like the town would not be going out to bid for the project, which would wind up back in “delay land.” Doing the National Grid and DPW projects simultaneously would be too complicated, Cohen said.
“I imagine this will be very disappointing news, especially for the folks that live on and near Weston Road, and the folks that need to commute through that area on a regular basis,” he said, referring to the needed repairs.
The 3,800-foot long, high traffic road hasn’t had a full paving since 1986.
The Board of Public Works had prepped Article 22 for the Annual Town Meeting to request funds to address Weston Road street, sidewalk, and drainage repair.
Last year, the DPW prepped an article for Town Meeting to seek $3.5M in funding to cover construction originally planned for last summer. But during Town Meeting, the DPW learned that National Grid would be doing gas line replacement on the road, and the Town Meeting motion was pulled.
The town has a page on its website dedicated to the project.
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The detour onto Elmwood rd is dangerous! They need 2 officers one on Pilgrim re and one on Elmwood, to direct the traddic on to Martin rd. The traffic is very dangerous, vehicles drive way to fast and don’t yield to anyone, esp pedestrians.
Someone who lives right off of Weston road, it does not help that National Grid only work several hours a day. Their work could have been already completed, if they chose to work full days or at least to 3pm every day.
Weston Road and the sidewalks are all in awful condition which has made it even worse with all of the patch jobs that National Grid is doing after they dig.
I understand that the town wanted to do their work over the summer, so school would be out, but they were originally going to do all of the work at night. So if that’s the case, just do Fall 2024.
Caramba!!!