Oxford is moving rapidly along this fiscal year with many new street pavings and safety improvements. Recent projects include the resurfacing of Maple Avenue, Millbury Boulevard, and Virginia Lane. DPW workers have done a superior job on these projects and are to be commended for their hard work. There were many more street resurfacings planned this fiscal year as opposed to a very small number in previous years.  There are a total of 11 resurfacings this fiscal year that include Cherdon Lane, Depot Road (Main Street to Depot Road), Maple Avenue, Millbury Road (28 Millbury Road – Federal Hill Road), Millbury Boulevard, Newton Avenue, North Water Drive, Norwood Court, Old Depot Road, Thayer Street, and Virginia Lane. These streets will be/have been milled and paved to enhance their structure and rideability. The DPW expects this reconstruction to extend the life of the listed streets by 12-15 years.

According to the town’s DPW website, an expected Main Street project is set for the summer of 2027 and is classified as a Main Street TIP project (Transportation Improvement Program). The project entails the reconstruction of Main Street from Fairlawn Avenue to Front Street (across from the Sunoco Station) with accessible sidewalks, ramps, separated bike facilities, transit bus stops, traffic slowing measures, and traffic signal upgrades at the downtown intersection. The estimated project cost as of January 2025 was $19,750,000 and a partial design was submitted to the Mass. Dept. of Transportation for review in December 2024. Project completion is expected by the fall of 2029.   

McKinstry Pond Dam rehab was also tentatively scheduled to begin in early September and to end in the spring of 2026. The $727,151 reconstruction project is classified as a significant hazard potential structure and includes installation of temporary cofferdam systems and dewatering, construction of concrete wingwalls, installation of two 24-inch high-density polyethylene pipes (known for their strength, corrosion resistance, and long lifespan), downstream stone armor, and reconstruction of 200 feet of Waite Street over the dam including installation of a stormwater drainage system.  

Additional ongoing town projects included replacement of approximately 203,000 square feet of roofing and 10,000 square feet of siding at Clara Barton School, Chaffee School, and Oxford High School. The $5.4 million project is expected to be completed by the end of September 2025. 

The Lowes Pond Dam Repair Project was scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 and to be substantially completed by the end of 2025. The major aspects of the rehabilitation dam design include widening the spillway, adding operational maintenance features, removing the sluiceway, constructing new training walls, removing woody plants from the dam embankment, and dredging accumulated sediment upstream from the dam. The design also includes restoration of the disturbed areas with native trees and shrubs. Final planting and seeding may occur in either the fall of 2025 or the spring of 2026. Total cost is anticipated to be approximately

$3 million. Failure of the dam may cause damage to downstream bridges and culverts.