At the October 2, 2024, Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, Director of Public Works Devin Cowperthwaite gave a quick update on the state of town projects and a sneak peek at what’s to come.
He started by updating the board on the Main Street repaving project. By now, the lines have already been restriped, but there are still a few more things to be done. The state has to replace the curb ramp delineators with ADA-compliant ones. There is also paving in the town hall parking lot to be finished, and missing signposts to replace. There will also be a new traffic signal located at the Spring Street intersection, and it will include a crosswalk signal. Other crosswalks will have signals that do not necessarily stop traffic but will flash lights to let drivers know when someone is in the crosswalk.
On the paving front, Cowperthwaite says his crew finished New City Road this year and completed mill and fill projects on Woodland, Laurel, and Forest. Leonard and Moulton, which were repaved around ten years ago, were chip-sealed. Cowperthwaite said his team will tackle part of Old Springfield Road in the spring. They will begin where the last overlay begins and go to the Somers line. Over the winter, they will trim trees and work on drainage projects along the road to prepare for spring paving.
“I’m hopeful, which is not an engineering term…that we can get it done this fiscal year,” he said of Old Springfield Road. It is, however, a very long road, and given the volatility of the price of asphalt, he warned that it would take every dollar of the paving budget.
Additionally, STEAP-funded paving projects at Kealy Field and the Community Center will happen in the spring and will be coordinated around the Old Springfield Road project. Cowperthwaite also noted that there was no solicitation for STEAP grant applications this year but that the town hopes to get funding for Hampden Road when applications open.
He also expects work on the Whispering Pines Bridge to begin in the spring through the Federal Local Bridge Program and on the Hydeville Road bridge in 2026.
“We asked people for a much bigger investment,” said Selectman Kurt Vail. He suggested Cowperthwaite show people where their money is going. He said he believed that when the town is transparent about the costs of these projects, it is easier to maintain the level of funding needed to get the projects done. Cowperthwaite agreed but was not prepared with finalized numbers as he waited for final invoices and costs to come in on some projects.
Changes at the transfer station
Cowperthwaite also noted that transfer station foreman John Wheddon was leaving for a new job. Jeremy Shaffer, a familiar face to many who already frequent the transfer station, will replace Wheddon.