Long crosswalk at Sabatino’s before changes ….

… and how it looks in November 2015. / EALS photos

UPDATED, Dec. 11: You thought the Mass. Ave Corridor project in East Arlington was at an end? Not quite yet.

As Adam Auster reports in his Word on the Street blog, contractor J.H. Lynch is replacing trees that died because of last summer’s drought or because of improper planting.

Arlington Public News interviews a variety of sides

Project completion was expected in spring

The full project is expected to be completed next spring. Nathaniel Cabral-Curtis, a spokesman for the project, has not responded to three requests to comment about why the ribbon-cutting is taking place now. He told The Advocate that the uncertainty of spring weather and current project momentum pointed to an November celebration.

Reports throughout the project, since June 2014, have been posted by Auster on his Word on the Street blog. See the links to all of the reports below.

Supported by the Town of Arlington, the key changes involve the design of the Varnum Street crosswalk and the planters in the business district. The town asked for modifications in response to requests from the community. Read all of Auster’s report here >>

As the second season of the $6.84 million Mass. Ave. Corridor project is underway, a meeting to update the public about the East Arlington job was held Thursday, May 14, attended by about 35 residents at the Thompson Elementary School, 187 Everett St.

Watch meeting on ACMi’s video on demand >>

Word on Street has reported that the state Department of Transportation is designing an additional sidewalk bump at the Trinity Baptist Church, is investigating the “premature spalling” of some of the sidewalk poured last fall and has delayed work several times at the request of local businesses.

Further, the team involved heard requests from residents for changes to ease the impact on residents and businesses, but expressed few specifics about addressing them.

Residents also learned that resurfacing is due to begin in late August, involving noisy night work, and that the avenue would reach “full beneficial use” in late fall.

Read all of Auster’s May 16 blog post here >>

Work on the Mass. Ave. Corridor project resumed the week of March 30, and the town has issued an expected schedule for the next three weeks, as contractors move toward Capitol Square.

Word on the Street: Mass. Ave. at heart of master plan

A description of what residents and business can expect at the start of the project was presented June 16, 2014, followed by comments from 27 residents at the project kickoff at the Thompson School.

Word on the Street, a blog by Auster, is providing ongoing accounts of the project — in words and pictures: