Special to the Record
The City of Chelsea has announced that Phase I of its Downtown Broadway Project will be completed a month ahead of schedule – right before the Thanksgiving holiday.
A two-phase project, the Downtown Broadway Project is the biggest beautification and utility reconstruction effort of Chelsea’s Downtown Broadway in the last 50 years. During Phase I, the City has substantially upgraded Chelsea’s water, sewer, drainage, and installed new fiber optic infrastructure beneath downtown from City Hall Ave to Williams Street.
The final weeks of Phase I will include drainage work in Fay Square and on City Hall Avenue as well as paving, milling, and the replacing of curbs in the areas that were affected by the utility work.
“We cannot thank Chelsea’s businesses and residents enough for their flexibility and understanding while we improve our Downtown corridor,” said City Manager FIdel Maltez.
While this last stretch of work is completed, the road’s surface will be uneven but will be repaved in many locations before the winter. The City encourages travelers to take caution when commuting in the area leading up to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
In 2027, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will launch Phase II of the Downtown Broadway Project. During this phase, MassDOT will beautify the corridor with a brand new roadway, sidewalks, and public open space, as well as install new traffic signals and pedestrian safety improvements.
“Broadway is the heart of our City, and it has not seen significant investment since 1973,” said Maltez. “We cannot wait to celebrate a ribbon cutting on Broadway with fully replaced sidewalks, traffic signals, and a new roadway.”
The City of Chelsea began construction for Phase I of the Downtown Broadway Project in June 2024. Phase II is scheduled to be completed in 2028.
The completion of the Downtown Broadway Project carries out the City of Chelsea’s 2018 Re-imagining Broadway Plan, which rethinks the traffic and circulation of the Downtown Chelsea area with the goals of improving access, safety, and mobility for everyone.
The funding sources for the Downtown Broadway Project include the Chelsea City Council, MassWorks, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), and American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
For more information about the Downtown Broadway Project, visit www.chelseama.gov/broadwayconstruction. Questions about construction and/or traffic can be directed to Chelsea 311 at (617) 466-4209.