Dover DPW wins $150,000 grant for culvert work

The Town of Dover announced that its Department of Public Works has been awarded $150,000 in grant funding from the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game's Division of Ecological Restoration to support planning for the replacement of three culverts in town.

The money will fund data gathering and design work over the coming year for culverts on Trout Brook at Springdale Avenue, Haven Street and Claybrook Road. According to the town, replacing the culverts to Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards would reduce flooding, improve public safety and restore access over six miles of Charles River habitat, while also improving the stream's capacity to carry water during storms and reducing the potential for upstream flooding and roadway damage.

The Springdale Avenue and Haven Street crossings currently use corrugated metal elliptical pipes, while the Claybrook Road site has deteriorating concrete pipe. All three locations experience significant flooding, and the Haven Street and Claybrook Road culverts restrict aquatic passage, cutting off the cold-water stream from the Charles River. Trout Brook is designated a Coldwater Fisheries Resource by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

The project will include wetland and stream assessments, geotechnical investigations, topographic surveying, hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, and a feasibility study, along with public engagement and coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on climate resilience and cold-water fisheries.

All three culvert sites sit within federally designated high-risk, noncoastal riverside flood zones, and the town's Hazard Mitigation Plan has identified flooding at each location. Flooding there can limit access to municipal and emergency services; Springdale Avenue connects two schools, the community center and the post office and links the Fire Department to many residences, while Claybrook Road serves as a critical east-west route through town.

DPW Director Kevin McCabe said in a statement, "We are grateful for this award from our partners at DER. This will go a long way toward improving conditions on the roads around Trout Brook. It will also provide significant ecological benefits, reconnecting this critical waterway in our community to the Charles River and supporting fish, wildlife and vegetation."

Town Administrator Michael Blanchard said in a statement, "This is great news for the Town of Dover. Congratulations to our DPW for this award. We look forward to the positive impact it will have on our environment and our infrastructure."

Source: Town of Dover announcement, October 23, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement. It was corrected where it differed.