Cheshire's Wells Road Project Will Need Pedestrian Bridge
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town may amend it Complete Streets project to include a pedestrian bridge on Wells Road.
Highway Superintendent Blair Crane told the Selectmen on Tuesday that the proposed Wells Road sidewalk project discussed last week should include a bridge.
"After going through the proposal, we concluded that there will need to be a pedestrian bridge included in the proposal or added on," Crane said. "So that is in the process going through that piece of it."
This will be the second application to the state's Complete Streets program after an unsuccessful attempt earlier this year.
This time that town wants to add a sidewalk on Wells Road that would extend from the Flaherty Road intersection to the Dublin Road intersection.
This stretch of sidewalk would cross over a bridge that is too narrow to add a pedestrian way. Crane said a second bridge would be the cheapest and most viable option.
"A bridge beside the bridge. There is not a lot of room but there is room for a separate bridge," Crane said. "That is the most inexpensive way to go about that."
However, Town Administrator Mark Webber said the current application that the town needs to submit Monday is for $237,000. He said the addition of a bridge to the project would increase this.
Webber said the town can apply for up to $400,000 but it is far too late in the process to change the plan but if it receives the grant, the project can be amended.
"I don't think we can get it together in time," he said. "But we can do an amendment afterward for more money, so I think we are going to have to go that route."
Crane went on with his report and said the town has received its new roller.
"New strobe lights have been installed and hard wired and safety reflector have added to make it as visible as possible," he said. "We don't want to end up with another incident."
The town's old roller was totaled it when it was hit by another vehicle. The town received a reimbursement through insurance.
Crane said the furnace at the Senior Center is currently inoperable and he has already called in a repair.
"That is the process and hopefully in the next few days we can get it up and running," he said.
Crane said fall paving has been rescheduled to Oct. 4 because of weather.
Tags: complete streets,
