Highway Division

On This Page    Street Paving Program  Sidewalk Construction  DPW Miscellaneous Facts & Figures  Sweeping Program  Catch Basin Cleaning  Snow Plowing, Sanding & Salting

Street Paving Program The city paved several streets beginning in September 2003. A large portion of upper Union Street was paved from Julian Drive up to Fall Brook Water Plant on Wachusett Street. This project included two portions of Grant Street. Also paved were Arlington Street, Lawrence Street, Granite Street, Mechanic Street, and First, Second and Fourth Avenues. Also included as a last minute project was a portion of Robin Road. Total spent on this project amounted to $936,848 in Chapter 90 funds. Chapter 90 funds were increased in summer 2004 to $684,262 and streets planned to be paved are; Union Street from Julian to Birchcroft Road, and the intersection at Litchfield, Hamilton Street, parts of Elm & Wachusett Streets, Sargent Avenue, Garfield, Hayes and Hill Streets and part of Legate Hill Road.

Sidewalk Construction New sidewalks were constructed in several locations during Fiscal ’04. Sidewalks were repaired at Lincoln Terrace, Elm Street, Central @ Graham Street, Union Street, Lorenzo Street, and West Street. New sidewalks installed on Walker to Carter Street, on Central Street from Cheryl Drive past the Leominster House of Pizza mall, including a new retaining wall. Work began on both Hamilton Street and Main Street this past spring. Several hundred feet of sidewalk had been installed by June 30th on both streets. The Central Streetscape Project began in April, 2004 and granite curbing was installed from Cheryl Drive all the way to Grant Street. Work on the west side of the street should be completed by Fall 2004 and will continue on the east side. This project was funded by a private developer with the DPW Construction Crew providing the necessary labor. Assisting the crew were John Fraher, Tom Bissonnette and Bob Ellis from other DPW division. This is yet another example of the private sector helping the city in a highly successful and visible beautification project. This certainly helps the city during continuing difficult economic times.   Before During After After Back to Top

DPW Miscellaneous Facts & Figures * Catch Basins Cleaned 3405 Salting & Sanding Events 28 * Snow Storms plowed 9 Total Snowfall 44 inches Potholes Fixed * Various Types Signs Installed 237 Sidewalks Installed 2580 feet 3381 * Street Miles Swept 400 Crosswalks Painted 251 * Stop Bars Painted 246 Centerlines Painted 187,895 feet * Potholes Fixed 2490 Curbing Installed 4216 feet * Sand for Ice Control 3676 tons Salt for Ice Control 3164 tons * Dump Stickers Given 1422 Streets Paved 3.03 miles * Swept 200 miles of streets after Spring thaw. Road Opening Permits 209   Back to Top

Sweeping Program Street sweeping begins as early as when spring arrives. Unfortunately that could be mid-March to Mid-April or later. Main Streets are done first followed by semi-mains and side streets. The schedule is done by ward and not to conflict with rubbish pickup. The weekly schedule, beginning on Monday, is simply Ward 5, Ward 4, Ward 1, Ward 2, and Ward 3. Complaints are handled weekly. Residents are asked to leave sand in the gutters and NOT to leave it in piles. The sweepers get bogged down in piles.   Back to Top

Catch Basin Cleaning We try to clean basins at least once a year. With over 3600 such structures, it is a daunting task. We sincerely appreciate those residents that keep the basin tops clean in front of their homes, particularly in the fall when they can become clogged with leaves. REMINDER: catch basins are not intended to be trash receptacles. They are to collect rain water and water from melting snow and ice.   Back to Top

Snow Plowing, Sanding & Salting Harsh New England winters are the norm in Leominster. Our Department normally goes out Salting & Sanding an average of 35-50 times per year. Depending on ambient temperatures, we normally will plow snowfalls amounting to 2 inches or more. A normal winter will see 12-20 plowable storms. We urge everyone to use caution if you have to drive in bad weather. We also encourage patience knowing that your street will be plowed during each storm. With over 600 streets in Leominster, we cannot be on every street at the same time. NOTE: a constant complaint from residents is that we plow their driveway. We urge you to wait until plowing is done before doing the end of your driveway. That will save time and aggravation. Remember that the street layout includes an average of 6-8 feet off the edge of the gutter on each roadway. This is owned by the city and one purpose is for snow storage. In some areas of town, we have asked residents to remove basketball posts and backboards before winter arrives.   Back to Top