20-Year Wait for Washington Mountain Road Reconstruction

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Finding funding to repair Washington Mountain Road is still proving to be difficult.

It has been nearly 20 years since the town of Washington start planning the reconstruction of the road and about 40 years since it has been resurfaced.

With engineering 100 percent completed, the town has just been waiting for federal and state funding to complete the $10 million project.

"We've been waiting for over 20 years and the road surface is dangerous," said Washington Board of Selectmen Chairman Jim Huebner, at Wednesday's Metropolitan Planning Commission meeting, where he advocated for federal funds to move it forward.

Last year, town officials found out that the project was no longer eligible for the funding they had hoped. And then they were told that the project was going to be done by the state. And then they were told it wasn't.

"We were given a letter from the administrator last August that said the entirety of the road would be redone. And we found out three weeks ago that it wasn't happening," said Huebner. "We've been spending the last year expecting that the project was going forward."

The MPO is just starting to craft the Transportation Improvement Plan for the next four years. The county is expecting to receive $6.2 million through three federal transportation programs in 2016, 2017, and 2018. However, most of those funds are eyed for other projects because the plan is updated yearly.

In 2015, the MPO has penciled in projects on Tyringham Road in Lee; the West Housatonic Street intersection in Pittsfield and starting the Housatonic Street reconstruction in Dalton. In 2016, the Housatonic Street project will continue and the intersection of Route 7 and Walker Street in Lenox will be renovated. In 2017, the Housatonic Street project will conclude, Pittsfield will start improvements to the Berkshire Medical Center area and the Ashwillticook Rail Trail will be extended to Hodges Cross Road in North Adams.

In 2018, the $2.4 million will be allocated to finish the BMC improvement project, leaving $3.7 million to be programmed into the TIP.

Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:23PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.