Town of Lexington, MA Completes Historical Center Streetscape Project

BETA attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for Lexington’s Center Streetscape renewal project on Thursday, December 8^th. For 12 years, BETA has been deeply involved with the planning, design, and construction phases of the project. The project focuses on improving the safety, accessibility, and aesthetics of the streetscape by maintaining the national prominence of Lexington’s historical landmarks as well as providing renewed vibrancy for businesses, tourists, visitors, and the community to enjoy.

Town Select Board Chair Jill Hai, Department of Public Works (DPW) Director David Pinsonneault, and Town Engineer John Livsey all spoke to the project’s challenges, success, and complex planning process. Among those challenges was the immense public outreach and collaboration effort. Livsey noted “the criticality of the communication of this project,” as well as the project team’s ability to “put together a robust communication plan.”

The $10 million project spanned 10 years of planning and designing and two years of construction. During this time, two Town managers and two DPW directors have been involved. BETA engineer Kien Ho and landscape architects Scott Ridder and Kelly Carr (retired) were in attendance to commemorate the completion of this immensely successful project that Select Board Chair Hai called an “invigoration of our living room come to life.” The BETA team was instrumental in the facilitation of the Town’s collaboration with the public as well as the implementation of the unique modular suspended pavement system with rooting material and irrigation systems to ensure trees thrive within the Town Center’s brick paver sidewalk streetscape. BETA is proud to have been part of this historical project with the Town of Lexington as they prepare for the upcoming 250^th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington in 2025.