After a brutal and seemingly neverending winter, spring is finally here. The snow has melted and renovations at West Roxbury’s Billings Field have resumed.

With no snow on the ground, one can view the construction vehicles hard at work in the park and catch glimpses of the splash pad, in-line hockey rink, accessibility ramp, entry plazas, and new scoreboards.

Earlier this year, a Boston Parks and Recreation spokesperson told The Bulletin that winter weather had already been factored into the construction timeline, and the contractor was well-equipped to handle any snowy or icy obstacles.

“Construction at Billings Field has continued through the winter with some delays due to the heavy snow events,” a Parks spokesperson stated last week.

The Parks Department explained that the blizzards and melting snow made access to Billings and some construction work more difficult.

“Crews have adjusted workflows to maintain overall progress,” the spokesperson said.

Boston recorded nearly 61 inches of snow this winter, making it the ninth snowiest season on record. According to the National Weather Service, a typical winter in Boston totals about 38 inches of snow. The major snowstorms this winter caused the City to deploy over 900 plows and salt spreaders, which left little room to store the snow. This led to an abundance of space savers and hundreds of unshoveled sidewalk reports via 311. The 2025-2026 winter was also bitterly cold, marking Boston’s coldest season since 2015. Multiple days of sub-freezing temperatures created dangerous icy conditions.

Last year, crews encountered persistent high groundwater in the playing fields after heavy rain. The melting snow raised concerns about groundwater levels at Billings Field. While this has affected equipment movement across the site, it has not significantly slowed progress, according to officials.

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Boston Parks and Recreation initially projected that the Billings Field project would be completed by late summer 2026. The timeline has since shifted, with construction now slated for completion this November. The sports fields are expected to fully reopen in spring 2027, once the turf has been established.

“Weather-related impacts, expanded project scope – including major park accessibility improvements – contributed to this revised timeline,” the spokesperson explained. “The project remains on track for completion in November 2026.”

Parks added that any major changes to the timeline will be communicated to the public through the project website and community outreach channels.

Last fall, several renovations were implemented, such as an ADA-accessible ramp, a new staircase and street hockey rink, and a rebuilt retention wall. In November, crews made minor playground upgrades, removing boulders and raised mounds, resurfacing the play area, and installing a new spinning structure. New picnic tables and perimeter fencing will be installed in the upcoming weeks.

For additional details about the Billings Field Improvement project or to subscribe for updates, visit https://gvimes.link/billings

You can also contact Project Manager Kevin Bogle at kevin.bogle@boston.gov.