Patrick Administration Announces Tyringham Road Project Nears Completion
 |
TYRINGHAM, Mass. - As part of the Patrick-Murray Administration’s unprecedented investment in transportation infrastructure improvements, MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky joined state and local officials in announcing substantial completion of the $3.1 million reconstruction of Main Road in Tyringham during ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Construction was overseen by the Massachusetts Highway Department.
The 2.1-mile reconstruction of Main Road from Monterey to Barnes roads included road widening, excavation, asphalt pavement, drainage construction, highway guard installation, pavement marking, sign installation and landscaping. The project was designed as part of MassHighway’s Footprint Roads Program and a precursor to its award-winning Project Development and Design Guide.
Following public hearings and responding to Town and neighbor requests, MassHighway made several design enhancements. The changes:
* Reclaim and resurface existing pavement, rather than full-depth reconstruction.
* Revise roadway alignments to better conform to the existing footprint.
* Save 31 trees.
* Preserve existing stone walls.
“This much-needed road improvement had been identified more than a decade ago,” said Transportation Secretary James Aloisi. “I am pleased to see that we have now moved this toward completion in a way that is good for the local environment and more easily maintained by the Town for many years to come.”
“Thanks to our Footprint Road Pilot Program and Design Guide, MassHighway was able to design an environmentally-sensitive project that preserved the rural character of this roadway,” MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky said.
“This infusion of federal dollars greatly impacts driver and pedestrian safety and the aesthetic value of Main Road,” said State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D- Pittsfield). “It is wonderful that Mass Highway incorporated environmental sensitivities into this reconstruction project, and it is heartening to see federal stimulus dollars invested throughout our small western communities.”
"The Tyringham Road is now one of the most beautiful roads in all of Berkshire County,” said Rep. Smitty Pignatelli (D- Lenox). “I applaud the Tyringham officials and Mass Highway official for a job well done."
Roadway reconstruction efforts are a critical component of Governor Patrick's Massachusetts Recovery Plan, which combines a range of state and federal funding sources to provide immediate and long-term economic relief. The Massachusetts Recovery Plan positions the Commonwealth for recovery in the following ways:
* Deliver immediate relief by investing in the road, bridge and rail projects that put people to work today and providing safety net services that sustain people who are especially vulnerable during an economic crisis;
* Use public infrastructure improvements to leverage private investment and broad-based economic development;
* Build a better tomorrow through education and infrastructure investments that strengthen our economic competitiveness, prepare workers for the jobs of the future and support clean energy, broadband and technology projects that cut costs while growing the economy; and
* Reform state government by eliminating the pension and ethics loopholes that discredit the work of government and revitalize the transportation networks that have suffered from decades of neglect and inaction.
