Central Street between Summer Street and Highland Avenue to Become One-Way (Northbound) for Vehicle Traffic on Monday, June 17 or Soon After

Beginning on Monday, June 17 or soon after, the segment of Central Street between Summer Street and Highland Avenue will become a permanently one-way northbound (travel from Summer St. north toward Highland Ave.) street for vehicle traffic.  

This change will facilitate the implementation of a new design and construction of streetscape improvements on Central Street (Summer St. to Highland Ave.).  

Over the summer and fall, construction crews will be working to: 

• Construct a new 12-foot-wide travel lane
• Install sidewalk-level cycle tracks in each direction
• Prepare tree pits for new plantings
• Deliver additional improvements
• This work follows the installation of new water, sewer, and drainage utilities along the same stretch of Central Street last fall. 

  
About the Conversion to One-Way Vehicle Traffic 
City contractors will install the required signage associated with this change prior to implementation. Message boards will also be placed at key points along Central Street and Highland Avenue to alert people to change in traffic pattern. 

During the initial phase construction (beginning June 17, or soon after), Central Street will be closed during work hours (typically weekdays, 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.) until the first layer of asphalt is installed.  

Access will be retained for residents and notification will be provided prior to paving. Afterwards, the roadway will reopen during normal work hours while construction continues. Emergency services and other essential City operations were consulted during the design process and have been notified of the implementation timeline. 

For more information, visit somervillema.gov/springhill. If you have questions, please email construction@somervillema.gov or call the Engineering Division at (617) 625-6600 x 5400. 


More on the Spring Hill Sewer Separation Project 
Somerville’s Spring Hill neighborhood has historically been served by a combined sewer system, which collects both wastewater and stormwater runoff in the same pipes. Through the Sewer Separation project, the City is working to upgrade these systems by installing new storm drains that separate stormwater from the existing combined sewer.    

In addition to the underground utility improvements, this project will also install street safety improvements and green infrastructure throughout the neighborhood. Green infrastructure includes trees as well as drainage features designed to mimic natural processes such as irrigated planting areas, bioretention basins with select soils and plants that catch and filter stormwater. 

This project is one in a series of actions the City is undertaking to reduce water pollution, address flooding, and modernize Somerville’s infrastructure. Construction began in 2022 and is expected to continue through 2025.  


 

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in  order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.  

Interpretation into any language is available upon advance request (at least seven days in advance) by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somervillema.gov/ContactSomerViva or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.