State Pothole Funds Helpful But Not Enough
.JPG) Fixing potholes on Eagle Street in North Adams earlier this month. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Local officials are grateful for the state's release of some $30 million toward municipal road repairs — but it's not enough to fill all the potholes caused by this winter.
"The $66,000 won't really put a dent in it," Timothy Lescarbeau, North Adams superintendent of public services, said of the city's share of the extra Chapter 90 funding.
Cities and towns that have applied for the funding Pothole and Winter Recovery Program are receiving an amount determined by the Chapter 90 road funding calculations based on populations and miles of roadways.
The state Department of Transportation is distributing $40 million; $30 million is for towns and cities and the remaining $10 million is for repaving and maintenance of state roads.
Lescarbeau estimated that North Adams has incurred nearly $100,000 worth of road damage over this past winter.
The problematic areas include Union Street, Veterans Drive, Portland Street, Walker Street and Franklin Street.
"We are looking at completely repaving those areas because there are just too many potholes to fix," he said.
Adams interim Department of Public Works Superintendent David Nuvallie estimated that the town has more $70,000 worth of repairs to make this summer to the roads.
He said the state will provide Adams with $43,677 in aid.
"We are working on it now, but I don't know how much the money will help," Nuvallie said. "I have the two foreman working on it now."
Nuvallie said the most problematic areas in Adams are East Road and parts of Route 8, but he expected to have a more complete report soon.
Tags: Chapter 90, potholes, road work,
