Cambridge Street Repaving to be Complete by Fall, Says MassDOT

The resurfacing of Route 3A (Cambridge Street in Burlington and Boston Road in Billerica) from Cook Street in Billerica to Burlington High School is expected to be completed this summer, said Burlington's Department of Public Works Director, Brian White, at last night's Select Board meeting.

White said the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and their contractor, Newport, is pushing to complete the road and sidewalk resurfacing and curb resetting over the next several months and be completely finished by the end of July. Newport has already started sidewalk work and resetting of the granite curbs that have fallen below grade.

Milling is set to begin in May, said White, with crews starting at Cook Street and working southward toward BHS. Work will take place during 12-hour overnight shifts to reduce traffic disruption. The milling process should take about 10 nights, weather permitting. After milling, crews need to adjust castings, install traffic light loops, and prepare the road surface before final paving begins. That's up to a month's worth of work, White said.

In June, top course paving will start, also during overnight hours. The road will be divided into three sections for paving: the center line and both gutter lines. Each night, temporary lane markings will be applied and temporary mix placed around structures in travel lanes to prevent vehicle damage. Brian stressed that drivers should follow the single-lane markings during construction, as catch basins in the gutter line will be raised about 2 inches and could damage vehicles if drivers try to drive it as two lanes.

Businesses will not be disrupted during this time, White said, as the only blockage of driveways will be for the few minutes when machinery is directly in front of the driveway. Travelers will be notified of the work in multiple ways about a week before it begins, including using the town's mass communication system, highway signs near the project, and a media blitz; emergency services in neighboring towns, which often use Route 3A as a point of access for Lahey Hospital, will also be notified.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of July, with permanent line markings, loam work, and road sign installation as the final steps. At its end, the road will be clearly marked as a single lane with a buffered bike lane in some areas. The section of road between Skilton Lane and Bedford Street will remain striped as two lanes.