News Flash

Highway Division Updates

• Last week, the Highway Division:
  • Repaired potholes on Crestview Drive, Deerfield Drive, Florence Road, Nonotuck Street, Old Wilson Road, South Street and Spruce Hill Avenue
  • Applied overlays to sections of Burts Pit Road, Glendale Avenue and Strong Avenue
  • Installed, removed or repaired signs on Birch Hill Road, Fruit Street, Hatfield Street, Industrial Park Drive, North Elm Street, Northern Avenue, O'Donnell Drive, Pencasal Drive, Smith Street and Spruce Lane
  • Swept Glendale Avenue and downtown streets
  • Graded Old Springfield Road and Pynchon Meadow Road
• Street sweeping is complete in Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 7 and is almost complete in Ward 6
  • Wards will be swept in the following order this year: 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 6
• To report a pothole, please submit a request via the Pothole Repair Form; the largest potholes are filled first to alleviate hazards to vehicles; as hazards arise and are identified, they will be addressed

Bedford Terrace - Smith College

• Smith College is undertaking a campus-wide geothermal energy project
• The first phase of the project includes the installation of underground distribution piping that will cross Elm Street at Bedford Terrace, Henshaw Avenue and Prospect Street
• Work on the Bedford Terrace crossing will continue and is anticipated to be complete this week
• One lane of traffic will be maintained; police details will assist with traffic control; two-way traffic will be reestablished at the end of each workday

Damon Road Reconstruction

• MassDOT has contracted with Gagliarducci Construction, Inc. to reconstruct Damon Road from the bike path to just beyond the intersection with King Street, North King Street and Bridge Road
• The project will provide intersection and traffic signal improvements, extended sidewalks, a shared use path and other safety improvements
• The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023
• The Contractor will be installing concrete sidewalks under the I-91 bridges and asphalt driveway aprons along the recently paved section of Damon Road
• One-way, alternating traffic will be in place as needed on Damon Road from the I-91 bridges to the bike path; police details will assist with traffic control
• Motorists should expect delays and seek alternate routes
• Questions about the project should be directed to MassDOT District 2, project #608236

Dryads Green Extension

• The City has contracted with Geeleher Enterprises, Inc. to perform emergency work to stabilize the slope southwest of Dryads Green Extension in order to protect a nearby sewer system
• The Contractor has removed deadwood, installed crushed stone & riprap and made limited drain pipe repairs; the work area has been seeded & mulched and additional sediment controls have been installed
• The path from Dryads Green Extension to the Mill River is closed until further notice
• The DPW will periodically inspect this area throughout the fall to confirm site stability

Gothic Street Parking Lot & Texas Road Drainage Improvements

• The City has contracted with Baltazar Contractors, Inc. to conduct drainage improvements at the James House Parking Lot on Gothic Street and on Texas Road
• Work at the James House Parking Lot on Gothic Streetincludes removing a drain connection to the sewer system, installing new drain structures, repairing existing drain structures and installing a new drain connection to a manhole in Gothic Street
  • Work is scheduled to begin this week and to last for two (2) weeks
  • The parking lot is closed to the general public until further notice
  • Accommodations for permitted/reserved parking:
    • Limited number of parking spaces on-site of which four (4) are reserved for City IT Services and the remaining spaces are open to the Center for New Americans and the Literacy Group
    • Seven (7) parking spaces on Gothic Street of which six (6) are reserved for the People's Institute
    • Six (6) parking spaces on Center Street reserved for City IT Services
    • One (1) parking space on Center Street reserved for Tapestry Health van
• Work on Texas Roadincludes installing a new drain system within the northeast section (near the dead end) and replacing a drain structure off the road
  • Work is scheduled for the weeks of November 28th and December 5th

Guardrail Improvements

• The City has contracted with Premier Fence LLC to install or replace guardrails at multiple locations on Arch Street, Chesterfield Road, Kennedy Road, Sylvester Road and Woodmont Road
• Work also includes installation of new headwalls at a culvert near 592 Sylvester Road
• Guardrail installation is complete on Arch Street, Chesterfield Road, Kennedy Road & Woodmont Road and three (3) sites on Sylvester Road and the headwalls near 592 Sylvester Road have been replaced
• The Contractor will be inspecting and conducting final touch ups to guardrails this week: installing additional millings at various sites, installing loam and seed as needed in upland areas, and touching up wetland areas including wetland seeding
• Traffic delays are anticipated; police details will assist with traffic control as needed

Hampden Street & Reed Street Sewer Manhole Replacement

• The City has contracted with Geeleher Enterprises, Inc. to replace a sewer manhole at the intersection of Hampden and Reed Streets
• Work is scheduled for the week November 14th
• No traffic impacts are anticipated; police details will assist with traffic control

I-91 Bridges over Route 5, the Railroad and Hockanum Road

• MassDOT has contracted with J.F. White, Inc. to construct roadway improvements to I-91 and at Exit 23 (formerly Exit 18)
• The project will replace the I-91 bridges over Route 5, the Railroad and Hockanum Road and construct safety and signal improvements at the exit interchange
• The project is scheduled to be completed in phases by 2025
• I-91 southbound, no traffic impacts are anticipated this week
• I-91 northbound, right lane closure Tuesday through Friday this week from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for concrete placement
• Route 5, shoulder closures will remain in place for pier and abutment construction but no lane closures are anticipated; motorists should be aware of trucks entering/exiting the work area
• Hockanum Road, a detour (pdf) will be in place all week 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for concrete forming, rebar installation and placement
• Questions about the project should be directed to MassDOT District 2, project #606552

King Street Corridor Improvements

• MassDOT has contracted with Morais Concrete Service, Inc. to construct roadway improvements to King Street between Bright Street and Church Street
• The project will provide lane reconfiguration, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, landscaping and drainage improvements and new traffic signals at North & Summer Streets and Finn Street at both King and State Streets
• The project is substantially complete; minor punch list items will be addressed in the coming weeks
• Questions about the project should be directed to MassDOT District 2, project #607502

Leeds Pressure Reducing Valve

• The City has contracted with GEG Construction for water system improvements that include an above grade pressure reducing valve (PRV) connected to the 36-inch transmission main in Haydenville Road across from Scotti’s, water main interconnections to the transmission main at Leonard Street and East Center Street and the installation of two hydrants connected to the transmission main in River Road
• The project will allow for the eventual demolition of the Audubon Road water storage tank
• The project is scheduled to be completed Fall 2022
• The 36” interconnection is complete and the PRV building has been delivered and set
• Pavement repairs to Haydenville Road are scheduled for Monday, November 21st
• The Contractor will not be working this week
• No traffic impacts are anticipated

Leonard Street Realignment

• The City has contracted with Ludlow Construction Co., Inc. to realign the intersection of Leonard Street and Haydenville Road
• The project will reconstruct the intersection so that it will be more perpendicular to Haydenville Road, improving safety and visibility
• Work is anticipated to take several weeks to complete
• The Contractor will continue with intersection reconstruction this week, including removing stumps and installing paving
• One-way, alternating traffic will be in place as needed; police details will assist with traffic control
• Questions about the project should be directed to the Planning & Sustainability Department

Levee Toe Drain Improvements

• The City has contracted with Ludlow Construction Co., Inc. for the installation of manholes along the land side of both the Connecticut and Mill River levee systems
• The project involves the installation of 28 new manholes and inspecting the toe drains running parallel to the levees via CCTV
• Manhole installations and pipe inspections via CCTV are complete
• The Contractor will not be working this week
• A pipe repair adjacent to Venturers Field Road has yet to be scheduled

Levee Vegetation Management

• The City has contracted with Cain’s Mechanical LLC for vegetation management at various locations throughout the levee and flood control system on both the Connecticut and Mill Rivers
• Work to mechanically remove unwanted woody growth and fallen trees and localized placement of rip rap for slope stabilization will be undertaken periodically system wide throughout the growing season
• Work for this growing season is complete and will resume in the spring

Main Street - Florence

• The City has contracted with Gomes Construction Co., Inc. for streetscape improvements along Main Street in Florence from Maple Street to South Main Street
• The project includes targeted sidewalk replacement, compliant accessible curb ramps, curb realignment at South Main Street, tree pits and street furniture
• The project is complete with the exception of line painting and the installation of flexible porous pavement (Spring 2023)
• Questions about the project should be directed to the Planning & Sustainability Department

Pavement Preservation Contract 2022

• The City has contracted with Indus Inc. for roadway preservation on Florence Road (Easthampton town line to Westhampton Road), West Farms Road and Westhampton Road
• The preservation method, cape seal, consists of a chip seal which is then covered by a micro surfacing treatment; benefits include sealing moderate cracks, providing skid resistance, sealing the pavement against moisture and protecting the pavement from further oxidation & raveling
• The cape seal application is complete
• The Contractor will be working on punch list items and clean up this week
• Police details will assist with traffic control; motorists should expect delays and seek alternate routes

Pleasant Street Improvements

• The City has contracted with Ludlow Construction Co., Inc. for roadway improvements on lower Pleasant Street, between Hockanum Road and the roundabout at Conz Street
• Improvements include roadway reconstruction, drainage work, sidewalk and pedestrian & bicycle upgrades and pavement markings
• The project is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2022
• The Contractor has completed roadway repairs resulting from the water main break and final paving and most pavement markings have been installed
• The project is substantially complete; minor punch list items will be addressed in the coming weeks
• Questions about the project should be directed to the Planning & Sustainability Department

South Main Street Sewer Rehabilitation & Lining

• The City has contracted with Precision Trenchless LLC for in situ lining of the sewer main and service laterals on South Main Street from Beacon Street to Nonotuck Street
• Brief interruptions to sewer service will occur during the process and notices will be handed out 24 hours in advance to inform residents of such interruptions
• See the Notice to Residents (pdf) for more detailed project information
• The Contractor will be finishing lateral lining this week
• One-way, alternating traffic will be in place as needed; police/flagger details will assist with traffic control; motorists should expect delays and seek alternate routes

An overview of all current Public Works projects can be found by going to Current Projects.

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