AMHERST — A road project that includes resurfacing of several sections of Route 63 from North Amherst center to the New Hampshire state line in Northfield could mean a delay in the construction of a roundabout in downtown Amherst.
Town Manager Paul Bockelman said Tuesday that the second phase of the roundabout work for the intersection of Triangle and East Pleasant streets, which had been expected to begin May 15, is being briefly postponed as Warner Brothers of Sunderland and other construction companies undertake the project by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The idea had been to have the detours and police details start after the University of Massachusetts commencement, with the intersection closed for about six weeks beginning June 15. The goal is to have most of the significant work at the roundabout complete before college students return in the fall.
Bockelman told the Select Board Monday that town officials were notified just recently about the Route 63 project.
“Apparently they did this with very short notice,” Bockelman said, adding that the state wanted shovel-ready projects to complete.
For the southern section of the Route 63 work, Mass DOT spokesman Patrick Marvin said in an email that the state will spend $1.9 million for both maintenance micro-milling and resurfacing. This project extends nearly 8 miles on Montague Road in Amherst, Long Plain Road in Leverett and Sunderland and Federal Street in Montague.
The northern portion of the work, which Marvin said comes at a price tag of about $2 million, continues for about 5 miles in Montague, as well as 3.8 miles between Erving and Northfield and a short stretch, less than a half mile, where the state highway enters the Granite State.
Marvin said the work related to both contracts will be done by the end of June.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
