A large snow mound left over from clearing the road from the February 23 snowstorm was blocking the Commonwealth Avenue carriage road at Russell Street late Friday afternoon, forcing pedestrians and runners to either pick their way through the mound or venture out into Commonwealth Avenue traffic on one of the most popular Boston Marathon training routes in the region.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) was alerted via Mayor Marc Laredo, and by 8 AM Saturday a DPW crew was on site with a Case backhoe, breaking apart the mound and clearing the road for the hundreds, sometimes thousands, of runners who use the Newton Hills stretch of the Boston Marathon course each weekend as the April 20 race approaches.
The snow had been piled up at the Russell Street crossing by clearing operations after the February 23 storm, where the carriage road meets the concrete-barrier blocked entrance marked “Do Not Enter / Except Bikes.” The mound created a barrier several feet high that obscured sight lines and left only a narrow, uneven passage for runners and pedestrians to climb over.
The obstruction was a product of an unusual stretch of winter weather. The recent snowstorm dumped over a foot of snow on Newton, piling on top of nearly two feet from a late January storm that never had a chance to melt. With snow removal costs already expected to surpass the city’s $5 million budget this winter, DPW crews have been stretched thin clearing streets, sidewalks, bus stops, and school routes across the city.
But the carriage road carries its own seasonal urgency. On weekends in February and March, the parallel path along Commonwealth Avenue through the Newton Hills draws a surge of Marathon trainees logging miles on the eight-mile loop from Fire Station #2 to Boston College and back — many training with local running clubs or charity teams for the 130th Boston Marathon.
When the first runners arrived Saturday morning, they found the DPW crew already at work. “Thank you so much for doing this,” several runners called out to the workers as they passed through the freshly cleared intersection.
A DPW worker at the scene noted that while a regional salt shortage in the wake of the back-to-back storms had the DPW looking to conserve salt, the warm afternoon temperatures were expected to melt the residual snow and ice on the road by early afternoon.
Lauren Berman, Newton’s Director of Economic Development, was among the first runners to reach the clearing Saturday morning.
“I love running in the carriage lane along Comm Ave in the winter — you’re protected from cars and the sun hits it first thing in the morning, melting away any ice,” Berman said. “But after the last storm there was this one narrow stretch where I had to come to a stop and pick my way over a snowy and icy footpath. I was thrilled to see DPW out early this morning, clearing this area so runners could stay safe!”
The 130th Boston Marathon takes place on Patriots’ Day, Monday, April 20.
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