The Conservancy undertook a major project to remove the 73 unsightly utility poles located in and around the Village of Watch Hill, along the loop of Bay Street, Fort Road, Larkin Road and Plimpton Road. This ambitious endeavor included burying electrical lines, water lines, storm drainage and relocating the electrical transformers. Initiated in the fall of 2007, the project will be completed by the summer of 2019.
This infrastructure makeover replaces the century-old utilities that were originally in place. The benefits of the project are many: it protects critical infrastructure from storm damage and it significantly increases the aesthetics of the Bay Street business district. Projects of this magnitude do not come cheap and many organizations and individuals have made generous financial commitments to see it to completion. The Town of Westerly and the Watch Hill Fire District have been wonderful partners in this endeavor.