Watertown closes Hillside Avenue for emergency drainage pipe repair

Watertown closed part of Hillside Avenue for an emergency drainage repair after about 120 feet of pipe failed beneath the roadway, the town announced July 7, 2026.

The town said the discovery followed three nights of heavy rainfall beginning July 4. The failed section was made of 24-inch corrugated metal pipe, or CMP. The reported sequence of rainfall and the discovery describes the timing of the incident; it does not establish that rainfall alone caused the failure.

Closure and detours

Hillside Avenue was closed between Main Street, also designated Route 73, and Buckingham Street, also designated Route 855. Watertown directed motorists around the closure using Buckingham Street, Main Street and Ball Farm Road.

The closure affected travel and local access along the road while crews addressed the drainage system and roadway. Police, fire and emergency medical service vehicles were to retain access through the work area, allowing emergency responders to reach the surrounding area during construction.

Pipe replacement planned

The repair plan called for removing the failed CMP and installing approximately 120 feet of 24-inch high-density polyethylene, or HDPE, pipe. After the replacement, crews were to backfill the excavation and pave the roadway.

Dayton Construction Company Inc. was assigned to the work in coordination with the Watertown Highway Department. The town estimated that the repair would take two to three days. That estimate covered the emergency work announced by the town and was not a completion confirmation.

For residents and businesses near Hillside Avenue, the immediate effect was a temporary road closure and a required detour. The planned pipe replacement was intended to restore drainage beneath the roadway and support the return of normal travel once the work was finished.

Other summer road work

The Hillside Avenue repair was announced as Watertown was moving ahead with other summer road projects. A broader town cold-in-place-recycling road program was scheduled to begin July 10, weather permitting.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation also announced milling and resurfacing on Route 262 in Watertown. That project was scheduled from July 19 through July 28, 2026, subject to the project schedule.

The separate projects meant drivers could encounter additional road work in Watertown during the summer, while the Hillside Avenue closure remained focused on replacing the failed drainage section and restoring the roadway.