BELCHERTOWN — Plans for a proposed $4.7 million roadway improvement project through the center of town will be presented and discussed next Wednesday with state transportation officials.
The project will upgrade a 1.17-mile stretch of Route 202 between Turkey Hill Road and South Main Street with new traffic signals, fresh pavement, wider lanes, sidewalks and crosswalks. Persistent problems with traffic congestion and frequent accidents will be discussed at the meeting and addressed in the project design.
“We think this is a good opportunity to present our solutions to this problem and hope we can garner public support, because public support is really important for this project to move forward,” Steve Williams, director of the Belchertown Department of Public Works, said.
The meeting will be held on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. in Selectmen’s Meeting Room in Lawrence Memorial Hall on 2 Jabish St.
“The functionality of that corridor means a great deal to the town and the BEDIC,” said William Terry, director of the town’s economic development board. The BEDIC is the Belchertown Economic Development & Industrial Corp.
With construction scheduled to begin in the spring, town officials hope the upgraded road will aid the economic development of the former site of the Belchertown State School, which sits on a 150-acre campus adjacent to the road. The town began advertising for bids from contractors to construct the road this month.
“I’ve always suggested it’s one of the best kept secrets in western Massachusetts for economic development,” state Rep. Thomas Petrolati, D-Ludlow, said. “We’re starting to see people outside western Massachusetts taking a solid look at those properties.”
According to the project description, the federal Transportation Improvement Program will fund 80 percent of the project, an estimated $3,827,200, with the remaining 20 percent, about $956,800 paid for by Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
In an average day, about 14,000 vehicles travel through the Belchertown section of Route 202, according to MassDOT spokesperson Patrick Marvin.
“It is a very heavily travelled roadway and that is certainly reflected in the current conditions of the road” Williams said. “It’s a north-south connector, so people trying to get to Holyoke, Springfield and Chicopee usually go that way.”
Some upgrades, like improved sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and wheelchair ramps, will make the road more pedestrian friendly, according to Terry. Utility work, drainage improvements, new signs and pavement markings are also proposed as part of this project.
The flashing light at the intersection of Stadler and Front streets will be replaced with a traffic light, and a new traffic light will also be installed at the intersection of Turkey Hill Road and State Street, a notoriously bad spot for car accidents, and an entry point to the Belchertown State School development.
One such development on the form state school site nearing completion is the Christopher Heights of Belchertown assisted living center. According to Dale Proulx, the development’s executive director, the apartments should be completed and ready for inhabitants in June.
“There’s been lots of interest in the community,” Proulx said. “Lots of people are coming in asking about employment.”
He said the company has received 18 applications so far for the 83-unit assisted living facility, and will employ about 50 full-time, part-time, and per diem staff. The Grantham Group manages Christopher Heights assisted living centers in five other locations across Massachusetts, including Northampton and Worcester.
MassDOT’s land acquisition policy will be discussed at Wednesday’s meeting, as Belchertown shares responsibility with the state to acquire all needed rights to build on private and public lands.
Any written statements received at least five days prior will be on public display at the meeting 30 minutes before discussions begin.
Written statements can be sent to Patricia A. Leavenworth, P.E. Chief Engineer, MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Boston , MA, 02116 Attn: Roadway Project management, Project File No. 608412
Questions can be emailed to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.u
Sarah Robertson can be reached at srobertson@gazettenet.com