Work on Hampshire Street: Expect parking restrictions, traffic detours, & impacts to CT2 and 85 buses

Milling and paving work on Hampshire Street and one block of Broadway will cause parking restrictions and detours between Tuesday, August 1, and Monday, August 7.

These dates are weather dependent, and the schedule could change. Work will occur between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. At the end of each day, the roadway will return to the normal traffic pattern.

The City encourages people driving and biking to avoid the area if possible, especially during paving.

Where is this work taking place?

• Most of Hampshire Street (between Inman Square and Broadway)
• One block of Broadway (between Hampshire Street and Portland Street)

What is happening?

• Between Tuesday, August 1, and Friday, August 4, crews will remove the existing asphalt in the project area (this is referred to as “milling”). As the street is milled, the surface will be rough, with raised manhole covers. The roadway will be lower, making the curbs higher for parked cars. Please use caution when opening car doors, so they aren’t damaged on curbs.
• On Saturday, August 5, and Monday, August 7, crews will repave the roadway. Wet weather could delay this scheduled paving.

On-Street parking spaces

On street-parking spaces will be impacted during this work. Paper signs will indicate the hours and locations where parking is not allowed. These signs will be posted at least 24 hours before restrictions are in effect.

Detours

Detours will be in effect while work is underway (between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.). At the end of each day, the roadway will return to the normal traffic pattern. Please pay careful attention to signs and directions from detail officers as you travel down Hampshire Street.

• There will be one lane open at all times for traffic headed eastbound (toward Kendall Square)
• Traffic headed westbound (away from Kendall Square) will be detoured away from Hampshire Street. Detour routes will change throughout the day and duration of this work: parts of Hampshire Street may be open to westbound traffic at different times during the project.

Side streets: At times, side streets will be closed at Hampshire Street, preventing access to Hampshire Street. Residents of these streets should plan vehicle trips accordingly and allow extra time for travel. At times, residents of one-way streets may have to travel the wrong way down the street to reach their homes. (Click here for the construction notice distributed to residents in the area.)

Abutters on Hampshire Street: As each section of the road is paved on Saturday, August 5, and Monday, August 7, it will be temporarily closed to all traffic except for emergency and City vehicles. Crews will reopen the roadway for abutters as soon as possible, but residents should allow extra time for travel.

Bus routes CT2 and 85

Two MTBA bus routes (CT2 and 85) travel through this area. The MBTA plans to detour buses headed westbound (away from Kendall Square) during this work. The MBTA will post flyers at bus stops with information on alternate routes and bus stops. You may also visit mbta.com/alerts/bus for more information. 

Contact information

• If you have any questions about the paving operations or need assistance, including any special needs or disabilities that require an accommodation, please contact Dominic Almeida, Supervisor of Streets, at 617-349-6952 or dalmeida@cambridgema.gov. 
• In case of an emergency after hours, please call the 24-Hour line at 617-349-4800.
• If you have any questions about the Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project, contact Street Design Project Manager Andreas Wolfe at awolfe@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-9162. 

What other work is scheduled for this area?

After the street is paved, we will wait about two weeks before adding road markings. When we do, the street layout will be different: new markings will include separated bike lanes, changes to parking, and changes to traffic patterns.

• Beginning the week of August 7, we will make changes to parking signs and meters. Pay attention to instructions on the posted signs when parking.
• At the end of August, bike lanes will be added against the curb, separated from parking and general traffic lanes by white flex posts and painted buffers. Pavement marking work will occur at night. 
• Over half of parking spaces on Hampshire Street will be removed. The parking that remains will move off of the curb, outside of the parking lane. 
• We will move several bus stops on Hampshire Street. Look for MBTA flyers at current bus stops for more information.
• The traffic pattern at the Broadway/Hampshire intersection will change. Drivers traveling down Hampshire Street toward Broadway will have to turn left onto Broadway (toward Boston) at the intersection. People driving will no longer be able to turn right or go straight.  

For more details, visit the Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project website. Stay informed about future work related to the Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project by signing up for the project email list.