HAWLEY — Town officials consider the narrow, curvy section of West Hawley Road (Route 8A) known as the Dugway to be Hawley’s No. 1 vulnerability. Now, they’re seeking design solutions to remedy the area in conversations with the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
According to the Selectboard, the roadway has poor sight lines, inadequate width at 18 feet, lacks appropriate drainage and is bordered by a crumbling retaining wall. Hawley resident Scott Purinton said there have been dozens of crashes in the area over the past 40 years.
“Anyone who drives it will immediately realize it is a dangerous location,” Selectboard member Hussain Hamdan said. “We have a perfect storm with the risk of the embankment coming down and limited visibility.”
During a recent meeting with Hawley officials and residents, MassDOT representatives concluded the project will cost around $5 million or $6 million, about $3 million of which would be spent on the retaining wall. District Highway Director Francisca Heming said the design alone will cost about $900,000.
Route 8A is currently a state road that is maintained by the municipality. Hamdan noted Hawley can handle the responsibility when it comes to plowing snow, but does not have money for construction projects, like the one needed.
“There are many roads people want the state to take over, but we can’t take over every road,” Heming said.
“We need to have conversations on how we can get the state more involved in a road like this,” state Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, commented in response.
Linda Dunlavy, executive director of the Greenfield-based Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG), mentioned two different grants that could be used for construction.
Dunlavy said the town could apply for a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant, which would require a 10% match.
“So many rural communities can’t pay what is needed with state grants,” commented state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland.
An MVP grant “provides support for cities and towns in Massachusetts to begin the process of planning for climate change resiliency and implementing priority projects,” according to the state website. However, Beth Giannini, senior transportation planner with FRCOG, noted the grant would require a “nature-based solution.” It was suggested an MVP grant could be used to fund planning.
A grant from the federal Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) could also help, and would not require a match from the town. Hinds noted he would try to put $2 million for initial engineering into a bond bill.
Laurie Scarbrough, transportation planning engineer with FRCOG, said she can look into excluding trucks on the road in the future. If larger vehicles were not allowed, it can be narrower without safety concerns.
“This problem is 70 years in the making,” Selectboard Chair Will Cosby said. “Hopefully the (retaining) wall can hang on for another five years it might take to complete the project.”
Contact Bella Levavi
at blevavi@recorder.com
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