SWAMPSCOTT — Several improvement projects are underway this spring around town, according to Department of Public Works Director Gino Cresta.
A waterfront-improvement project is starting at Phillips’ Beach, thanks to a grant secured by the Community and Economic Development Department. JAM Construction, contracted for the job, will install a new granite marker depicting the name of the beach, an outdoor shower, a drinking fountain and a bigger patio area.
“We are excited to be moving forward with the beach entrances project in time for the 2022 beach season,” said Marzie Galazka, director of community and economic development in Swampscott.
The project is funded through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Galazka said. Swampscott has been certified as an MVP community and was eligible for grant funding that supports cities and towns that are beginning the process of planning for climate-change resiliency and implementing priority projects.
Cassidy Beach, located at the northern end of the Fisherman’s Beach, will see improvements as well. According to Cresta, the town is planning to plant new beach grass and replenish sand there starting next week.
A water-main upgrade project is underway on Jessie Street. The town is replacing the 6-inch, cast-iron main with an 8-inch ductile iron one, as well as replacing the faulty fire hydrants.
The cast-iron pipes are full of rust buildup, which affects water volume, said Cresta, while ductile iron does not rust. The work will take four to six weeks.
While the water main is being replaced, the houses on Jessie Street will be connected to a temporary bypass piping that a contractor has been laying down this week. The residents will experience up to four hours without water when the switch from the existing main to the bypass takes place.
“They should have more water pressure, they will have safer hydrants and the water, in theory, should be cleaner,” said Cresta about the outcomes of this improvement.
The work on Jessie Street is a part of the systemic water-main replacement, which has been financed with a $1.1 million interest-free loan from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Cresta said. Last year, Swampscott completed water-main replacement on Atlantic Avenue, using a bigger portion of this loan.
