Repaving in Newton uncertain

Route 9 project stops at edge of Brookline

One in a series of occasional articles on development and transportation pressures facing Route 9.

The long-awaited repaving of Route 9 across Brookline to the Newton line started last month and should be completed by late fall.

And there the work crews will stop.

State transportation officials say they aren't sure when the Newton portion of Route 9 will be repaved, but it could be several years away. A project document on the state Highway Department's website says construction won't begin until the winter of 2011-2012.

The pockmarked, heavily traveled road through Brookline and Newton has long annoyed commuters, including one prominent Brookline resident - former governor Michael Dukakis.

By his recollection, the last time Route 9 was fully repaved was in 1986, when he was still in office.

"The Newton portion of it is just a mess. I've been watching that road and the bridges there deteriorate for years," said Dukakis, who drives along the stretch of road often. "We've got to be able to repave the highway more than once in 22 years."

He said he didn't understand why it couldn't just be milled and repaved, as Storrow Drive and other roadways are. "I'm baffled at why it's taking so long and costing so much."

The resurfacing of a 2.75-mile stretch of the road in Brookline, from High Street to the Newton line, will cost about $6 million and be completed late this fall, said Adam Hurtubise, spokesman for MassHighway. The project, which is being funded by the state, was delayed a few months in part due to utility conflicts. Early work, including reconstruction of the median, sidewalks, and guardrails, has been underway since April 2007.

The Brookline stretch is being repaved in phases. Work crews last week worked on the eastbound side, focusing on a stretch that begins about 1,000 feet from the Newton line and runs to Hammond Street.

At the same time, on the westbound side, the contractor is planing the existing roadway and plans to place a concrete leveling course in two weeks.

Nearly all of the work will be done at night, so no lanes will be closed during the day. One lane of the highway will be open at all times while the work is being done, so officials do not expect major delays. Commuters can visit the website of contractor Aggregate Industries, www. aggregate.com, for updates on construction location, time, and schedules.

But the wait for the Newton portion of Route 9 will be quite a bit longer.

The state has said design work on the project will be 75 percent finished later this month, with the entire design for the four-lane roadway slated to be completed by early next year. MassHighway's website, www.mhd.state.ma.us, says the project will be put out to bid in October 2011.

"Finding a funding source is the issue driving the schedule," Hurtubise wrote in an e-mail. "We would prefer to use federal funds, but thus far the Newton project is not programmed."

The Newton project is being designed so it can be advertised either as a federal aid project, where the state pays 20 percent of the costs and US highway funds cover 80 percent, or as a project funded purely by the state. More permits are required for federal aid. With the project still being designed, Hurtubise said, he did not have a timeline for when it would go to bid and be completed, or even how much it might cost.

Newton officials contacted last week were accepting of the long wait.

"It's a major thoroughfare that affects the residents of Newton and people traveling through the city," said Newton City Hall spokesman Jeremy Solomon. "But given the fiscal climate, we will need the assistance of the state, and when it comes, it comes."

Alderman Ken Parker said he typically hears more complaints about traffic on Route 9 than about the condition of its pavement, but said it's important for the surface to be protected.

"If you let cracks form in the surface, then water can seep into them and get into the base of the street and cause massive, expensive damage," Parker said. "It's much faster and more economical to have a regular maintenance program, and I hope the state is seeing to that."

In the meantime, Solomon said, immediate problems will not be ignored. The state recently repaved the intersection of Route 9 and Woodward Street, for example.

"If there's a major public safety hazard due to a pothole or some other major defect in the road, I'm sure we can work with MassHighway to patch what needs to be patched in the interim," he said.

Rachana Rathi can be reached at rrathi@globe.com.