LEYDEN — The Selectboard continued planning the replacement of a culvert on West Leyden Road over Hibbard Brook this week, saying that construction could occur next summer after the school year ends.
The board voted unanimously on Monday to sign a $9,083 contract extension with Gill Engineering for the project, increasing the total scope of work to just over $100,000, as the board had previously approved a $91,322 contract.
Town Coordinator Michele Giarusso said the contract includes engineering and oversight during construction, as well as a traffic control plan, and could be paid for using funding that the town receives through the state’s Fair Share Amendment, a 4% tax on those who earn an annual income over $1 million.
The total project, including construction, is expected to cost $1.69 million, paid for using a Community Culvert Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The culvert on West Leyden Road has failed and flooded the road previously, and the replacement has been in the works for a few years. In 2024, the town received a grant from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration to fund the project’s engineering and design. At the time, Giarusso said that heavy rainstorms can turn the road into what town officials jokingly call “The West Leyden Bog.”
Giarusso said there would be alternating lane closures during construction to allow the road to remain open. She added that police details would not be needed, and signs announcing that the section of West Leyden Road is a one-lane road could be installed.
She said the project will be put out to bid for construction, which she hopes will start after June 28. According to the school calendar, the last day of the 2026-27 academic year is June 23.
The Selectboard intends to schedule information sessions closer to when construction begins to update residents on the project timeline, and when to expect lane closures and noisy work.
“I understand that people right now may feel somewhat disenfranchised by the process, but this has been going on for a long time. … If we have the money from the state, the road’s going to be rebuilt,” Selectboard Chair Erica Jensen said. “That’s a point for a water emergency and there’s no reason we shouldn’t get it fixed if the state is going to pay for it.”
