Clarksburg Looking at Pricey Replacement for Culvert
 The state has told the town it has to put in a temporary bridge to replace cast iron boiler being used a culvert on Gates Avenue. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials are hoping its state representatives can run interference with the state Department of Environmental Protection on a costly culvert replacement on Gates Avenue.
The state is calling for a temporary bridge on the dead-end road that could cost two to three times what the town has budgeted for repairs.
"We don't have that kind of money," said Selectmen Chairman Carl McKinney last week. "We've got about $106,000, $114,000, which is just barely enough to repair the culvert in place."
McKinney said the town has spoken with state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi and was expected to meet with state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing on Tuesday to see if they could help the town find alternatives
The culvert is actually an old cast-iron boiler from a factory that's been holding up the road for decades. It has been failing for some time and was further exacerbated by Tropical Storm Irene in August 2011. The town had hoped to receive some federal or state funding for storm damage but that did not come through.
The plan had been to replace it with a new slip culvert and repair headwalls last year. But the state DEP is calling for a temporary bridge for now because the planned culvert would be too small for the fish, said McKinney.
An engineer who reviewed the site has given a low-end estimate of $280,000 for the installation of a temporary bridge, with $400,000 on the high side.
The cost to repair the East Road bridge last year was $275,000.
"Even if we save all our of our money — all of our road repair money and not repair any roads — we might get to the point of being able to do that culvert," said McKinney. "While the rest of the town falls down around us."
In other business last week, the town voted to continue in the Berkshire Mosquito Control Program at least through 2014.
Town officials have been leery of the progrma for some time, feeling it was expensive and could be done in-house just as well at cost savings. However, Board of Health Chairman Gregory Vigna recommended signing for one more year because of the record number EEE and West Nile cases in recent years.
Long-term, he said his board is speaking with other towns in getting at least one Department of Public Works employee trained and certified "so we can save a boatload of money." The progam currently takes $4,400 off the town's cherry sheet.
The board delayed for two weeks a decision on which type of townwide revaluation to do until it had a clearer picture of the budget.
James Brasiliere gave a lengthy presentation of his plans to expand the North Adams Country Club into an 18-hole course. He had hoped the board would give him a permit to begin excavation but, while endorsing the project, the Selectmen it did feel comfortable doing so without a bond and conditions from other boards before them.
Tags: bridge, culvert, road work,
