Week of March 18, 2024

175 North Harvard Street Project Construction Impacts Update

  • The following is an overview of the work taking place at the 175 North Harvard construction site
    at the future location of the new Harvard University affiliate housing building:
    o Soil removal from the site continues.
    o Concrete pours continue throughout the week during normal working hours. Because
    concrete pours cannot be stopped mid-pour, some of these operations may occasionally
    go slightly later than 6:00 p.m. The contractor will make every effort to minimize this.
    o Crews will be installing reinforcing steel to prepare for placing concrete for the
    foundation mat slab in early April.
    o Truck traffic in and out of the site will remain steady throughout the day during standard
    work hours. Some trucks will be staged at the parking lot located at 201 Western Ave as
    needed during busier times to ensure trucks are not staging in the roadways.
    o Wheel washing and street sweeping continues to ensure soil isn’t being tracked through
    the streets.
    o Waterproofing work is taking place.
  • Last week, crews started construction on the new American Repertory Theater (ART), which,
    once complete, will be located at the front of the 175 North Harvard parcel with the new
    Harvard University affiliate housing building already under construction behind it.
  • On the ART site, crews have begun excavating soil for the foundation and pre-trenching in
    preparation for sheet pile installation.
  • A drill rig is on site and will be operational with sheet pile installation beginning on Monday,
    March 18 and continuing through the week.
  • Please note that sheet pile installation does generate some noise and vibrations. Third-party
    engineers continue to monitor the dust, noise, and vibration monitors that are positioned
    around the work site to ensure construction activities remain within safe and acceptable levels.
  • A traffic change has been implemented on South Campus Drive to help improve safety and traffic
    flow around the job site. Now only construction vehicles are permitted to turn onto South
    Campus Drive from North Harvard Street. All other vehicles will be directed to access South
    Campus Drive from Western Ave.
  • The project’s regular work hours are Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Work on
    Saturdays may be necessary as permitted by the City of Boston from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • The contractor will be working this Saturday, March 16 doing earthwork in the footprint of the
    building.