Water Street Improvements

The Town of Plymouth’s implemented extensive efforts in preparation for the Town’s 400th anniversary in 2020, with a main goal of revitalizing its commercial and tourism corridor. A key capital project of the overall Plymouth 400 effort was the upgrade of Water Street, which runs along the historic waterfront of Plymouth Harbor. Water Street provides access to such notable attractions as Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower, the original location of Plymouth Plantation, and other historically significant venues. Also, it provides access to the harbor area, which has active marine-related industries, ferry service, as well as recreational and commercial activities. Water Street experiences a high volume of visitation by both tourists and locals.

BETA  provided planning and design services for this multi-phased $22M capital project and recently completed the construction administration and onsite observation for the Phase I portion, or the southern end of Water Street. These safety improvements included a full roadway reconstruction, traffic calming features, utility upgrades, widened brick/exposed aggregate sidewalks, stone promenades and accent walls, decorative street lighting, traffic/pedestrian upgrades, controls, and extensive landscaping. The Brewster Garden pedestrian bridge was fully replaced with a prefabricated wooden footbridge with accenting stone pillars.

Coordinating and maintaining a phased, but strict, construction schedule was essential for the Phase I activities. In addition, emphasis needed to be placed on public safety for maintaining full access to local businesses, the waterfront, and historical venues, and effectively managing the high and unpredictable volumes of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, throughout the work zone. All work was completed in early December 2017, on time and under budget, with full anticipation for the Town moving forward with its future phases.