Congress Street Infrastructure Project

The work on upper Congress Street is the second part of Phase 1 of the sewer separation project of the Fleet Street Area that is being required by the City's Long Term Control Plan and Supplemental Compliance Plan. The project includes new water, sewer and drainage upgrades along with full streetscape rework and other pedestrian enhancements.

Given the scope of this larger Fleet Area project, it is being completed in phases: 

• Phase 1, infrastructure work in the Vaughan Mall and upper Congress Street area that began September 1, 2025.
• Phase 2, a new drain line down Maplewood Avenue to the drainage outfall at North Mill Pond and
• Phase 3, Fleet Street from Hanover Street to Court Street.

Utility replacement on Congress Street is scheduled to begin sometime on or after January 5, 2026 and is expected to extend to early June.  Work includes the full replacement of sewer collection, water distribution, and stormwater infrastructure from Maplewood Avenue to a point approximately 100’ beyond (East) of the Fleet Street intersection.  The first portion of work on Congress Street is expected to start at Vaughan Mall and proceed towards Maplewood Avenue with the sewer and drainage installations before moving on to begin work between Vaughan Mall and Fleet Street. 

This portion of work will also include the restoration of Congress Street in the fall of ’26 beginning after Labor Day.

Like the Vaughan Mall project, the work can be disruptive to pedestrians and traffic.  Similar barricades will be used as required to aid pedestrians in the vicinity of the work zones as were used during work in the Vaughan Mall work to maintain access to businesses.  Crews will maintain at least one lane of vehicular traffic and safe sidewalk passage; however, some work days will require the temporary closure of Congress Street and/or the Fleet Street intersection during working hours in which case detour routes will be established.

The City is proceeding with this work starting this winter in an effort to limit impacts to businesses. It is expected that the major utility work and most significant impacts to businesses will be completed over the winter leaving temporary roadway and sidewalk reconstruction for the spring. Work is scheduled to take place daily, Monday through Friday but there may be brief interruptions if conditions become too severe for crews to work effectively.