COLRAIN — Residents can expect the village intersection project, which has redesigned the town’s center and the Town Common, to be completed by the end of April, as a nearly decade-long process wraps up.
The town requested the project in 2013 to improve traffic flow, widen sight lines and to better accommodate pedestrians. The majority of the $1,819,756 project has been funded by the federal government’s Transportation Improvement Program and approximately $350,000 from the town’s Chapter 90 allocation for the design, engineering and right-of-way costs. Reading-based Weston and Sampson designed and engineered the project, while the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has overseen the process.
Town Administrator Kevin Fox said the project has been progressing steadily and is “expected to wrap up by the end of April.”
The finishing touches, however, will have to wait until at least August, as supply shortages have left the town waiting for signs on Greenfield Road and the installation of a runaway truck catcher, according to Selectboard member Michael Slowinski.
The project has reconstructed the intersection and has created “an accessible network of sidewalks, ramps and crosswalks to link popular village center locations,” according to the MassDOT project information webpage. The design plans show the extent of the work extending from the Post Office and Coburn Street to the town center, and approximately 0.1 miles in both directions on Jacksonville and Greenfield roads.
Fox said the project will keep traffic moving in the center of town, while also making it more welcoming and pedestrian-friendly.
“Basically, it shifted the dimensions of the village center to improve lines of sight, the town common and make it more walkable in all directions,” Fox said, adding they are not anticipating any road closures as the project approaches the finish line. “I don’t think we really had any closures.”
The town requested the project through a MassDOT project need form in May 2013 and the final design was submitted in summer 2020. Construction began in late 2020 and has been progressing steadily since.
Fox said the project has been “met with rave reviews” thus far.
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.