AMHERST — At the main intersection in Amherst center, periodic traffic delays are happening as heavy construction equipment removes asphalt in advance of repaving the roads, while also making loud noise and occasionally shaking nearby buildings.
On a recent day, the vibrations from the ongoing road work were enough to knock a clock from a wall inside Amherst Books, the Main Street bookshop that has been a mainstay for tourists, visitors and regulars.
“It’s disruptive, but it’s not forever,” says Shannon Ramsey, co-owner of the independent bookstore, about the project, adding that she understands that the end result will mean Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant crosswalks connecting to the sidewalks.
“We do have people who come in who need it to be safer,” Ramsey said.
On the other side of the intersection on Amity Street at Amherst Coffee, both the road and parking areas have been blocked off at times, and the outdoor patio is in the midst of a construction zone where the roads are down to gravel surfaces.
“It’s definitely been a slow couple of weeks,” said Carly Santiago, the cafe manager.
But Santiago appreciates that this will eventually be beneficial. “I’m pro making the town better.”
Palmer Paving recently began a late summer, six- to eight-week project to reconstruct the convergence of Amity, Main, North Pleasant and South Pleasant streets, using half of the spaces in the nearby Spring Street parking lot as a staging area for equipment, and necessitating various detours and temporary one-ways, as well as closing off some on-street parking.
All of this is happening as college students begin returning for the fall semester, with the largest influx likely to come in late August when University of Massachusetts dormitories open.
Both the Amherst Business Improvement District and Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce are working with Town Hall to make sure that residents, commuters and others coming into town are aware of what is happening, with electronic signs reading “Biz Open,” and advisories suggesting using a route through the Triangle Street roundabout at the northern end of downtown.
“We welcome road and sidewalk improvements, though they do come with some temporary pain,” says Amherst BID Executive Director John Page.
“August can be a tough time as it is,” Page added, but he explained that the preference for most businesses is to get this kind of work done during the summer, even if it means briefly extending it into the new school year.
A main consideration for the businesses, he said, is making sure that parking spaces are freed up for Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and to accommodate events, like the weekly Amherst Farmers Market on the Town Common on Saturdays.
The business organizations are also working with the Department of Public Works to make sure parking is plentiful for the Rotary Community Fair, which is returning to the Town Common for three days, starting Friday.
As part of this, the Amherst BID and Chamber joined the town in announcing free two-hour parking in the town lot between North Pleasant and North Prospect streets, through Labor Day, as well as on-street parking on the weekend on the roads under construction.
The construction hasn’t deterred events from being scheduled, including two End of Summer Family Fun Days at Kendrick Park, near the Triangle Street roundabout, running both Wednesday and Aug. 27 from 3 to 7 p.m., with lawn games and activities and, for the last hour, pop-up concerts.
“With new people and visitors, we want it to be as easy as possible,” Page said.
The town will also be shown off for first-year students at both Amherst College and UMass on Aug. 28 and Aug. 30 during Adventure Into Amherst programs.
Even in the best of times, though, parking can be a challenge. Santiagio said she worries when the Amity Street lot next door can’t be accessed by Amherst Coffee customers.
Nat Herold, co-owner of Amherst Books, knows these issues well. “Parking is never easy in Amherst; this is briefly making it worse,” Herold said.
Herold adds that he would have liked the road work to have commenced about two or three weeks earlier, though he’s not sure it has deterred customers from getting to the shop. “We had a lot of tourists in town this week,” he said.
Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek said some inconveniences are bound to happen whenever there is road work. “We are working with the contractor to minimize disruptions and maximize access to parking,” Ziomek said.
Ziomek said the completed work will last at least two decades and the hope is people will appreciate the improved crosswalks, sidewalks and roads.
The business organizations are also ramping up marketing of the many small businesses with the new school year about to start.
Even when the road work is complete, though, Amherst Coffee will continue to be close by the renovation and expansion of the Jones Library, which is expected to be happening until late 2026. On Thursday, workers handling that project were making loud pounding sounds in the library’s front yard, drowning out conversations of anyone dining al fresco.
Santiago said that staff at Amherst Coffee is close with library employees and thus happy for them that they will be getting the building they want and need, though she said some customers will lament that the view will be dominated by a work trailer and fence for many more months.
Crossing the temporary gravel roads, Amherst resident Ellen Agard, who with Inge Ackermann participates in yoga at the Senior Center, said she believes the town should address challenges with impassable sidewalks from Lincoln and Sunset avenues, instead of prioritizing ones already in good shape.
“We will have a nice downtown, but they didn’t make it easier to get there,” Agard said. “Getting into town is the problem.”
Chamber Executive Director Jacob Robinson observes that the intersection project follows from the North Common overhaul completed a year ago, with more people enjoying the greenspace during the spring, summer and fall.
He encourages people to follow social media feeds and online calendars to make sure that they are aware of the various activities put on by both the Chamber and BID, or coming to see a film at Amherst Cinema, watch a performance at The Drake, dine at Amherst Oyster Bar or shop at the newest small business, FA2.
“There’s a lot for people to do in downtown, and they shouldn’t be scared of the construction,” Robinson said.
