LEVERETT — A project to replace culverts below Dudleyville Road and improve swales along it, funded by a $1 million state grant, is expected to begin Monday, Oct. 20.
Crews with Ludlow Construction Inc. will start the work on the 1.4-mile long section by bringing materials and equipment to the site, as well as installing detour signs. Construction will last until December, with the final surface work to be done next spring.
During weekdays, while the contractor is actively working, the road will be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., reopening each evening.
Residents who live on the road, which connects the Moore’s Corner section of Leverett to Montague Road in Shutesbury, are advised they may have to detour through Shutesbury at times.
Dudleyville is a gravel road that has been plagued with challenges for residents in recent years due, in part, to climate change. For instance, the often wetter and milder winters have extended the length and severity of each spring’s mud season.
This drainage improvement project is the first phase of several for which the town plans to seek funding and will result in a completely rebuilt road by the end. The future surface of the road will be addressed during a final phase, with some residents calling for paving or chip sealing.
A report from Tighe & Bond engineers estimated that a full rebuild of the road would cost between $2 million and $4 million, but recommended drainage as an important first step.
“Each rehabilitation method will be paired with drainage improvements to more efficiently remove stormwater from the roadway surface and discharge it through roadway cross culverts,” the report states. “One of the primary reasons for the existing deficiencies is the existing stormwater management.”
The town was awarded the money through the MassWorks Infrastructure Program last October. Town Administrator Margie McGinnis told the Selectboard at its Oct. 7 meeting, though, that the town didn’t receive an additional state grant in the latest round, and also missed out on a Community One Stop for Growth grant for reenvisioning Leverett’s town center.
People with questions should reach out to McGinnis at townadminstrator@leverett.ma.us or 413-548-9699, or to Highway Superintendent Matt Boucher at highway@leverett.ma.us or 413-548-9400.
Public comments about the ongoing project will also be accepted at Selectboard meetings throughout the fall, both in person at Town Hall and via Zoom.
