Becket, Peru Awarded $2M in MassWorks Grants
BECKET, Mass. — Several Berkshire towns are getting more than $2 million in MassWorks funding, largely for road repair.
The funds were part of $66.5 million in grant awards to 50 communities announced last week by the Baker-Polito administration. The administration also kicked off the first series of grant awards made through the Community One Stop for Growth program, which total a combined $88 million for projects in 122 communities across the commonwealth, including MassWorks awards.
"MassWorks and the programs accessed through One Stop support local infrastructure projects that spur housing, workforce development and private investment," said Gov. Charlie Baker. "We appreciate the partnership with the Legislature and local leaders to make these investments possible and look forward to our continued collaboration."
The town of Becket received the largest award for the Berkshires: $1 million to reconstruct McNerney Road, a local connector between Route 8 to the south and the town of Washington to the north. Improvements will include full-depth reclamation, road widening, and shoulders for bike accommodations.
McNerney Road provides an alternate route for regional and commercial traffic traveling north to the towns of Washington and Dalton and the city of Pittsfield. The roadway is used year-round by Becket emergency vehicles, Washington residents, and provides the most direct travel route for emergency responders to the western portion of Washington. Project improvements will address poor pavement conditions as well as narrow lanes that presently impact response times and cause hazardous travel conditions.
Peru received $927,000 for a resurfacing project on East Windsor Road. This project will reconstruct three miles of the road, a conduit between Route 143 and the towns of Peru and Windsor. Improvements will include full-depth reclamation along with replacement of drainage culverts.
East Windsor Road is the principle north-south route between Windsor and Route 143 via Peru. Poor pavement and drainage conditions make travel hazardous during storm events, especially when temperatures are below freezing. Emergency vehicles are required to reduce speeds for safe travel. Improvements will increase transportation safety as well as emergency responsiveness.
Hancock will use $169,000 to pave Dee, Goodrich Hollow and Tower Mountain roads, three dirt and gravel roads that can only be accessed from New York State. The grant will only cover the cost of paving; the town intends to do other work including replacing culverts and adding gravel prior to paving. In addition to making the roads safer and easier to plow, paving will also offer increased economic opportunities for Hancock from revenue generated by new housing that can be built along them. Along with recent high speed internet service, the town believes the area these three roads serve will only increase in popularity and demand.
Town of Great Barrington was awarded $69,000 toward its Housatonic Homeownership Project. The housing project on North Plain Road is a collaboration of Great Barrington and Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity. The Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund purchased 7.25 acres last year and awarded development rights to Habitat to develop 20 affordable homes.
As part of the Community One Stop for Growth program, Windsor was awarded $32,000 to hire the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to assist in a master planning process. The town's goal is to have a plan to present to the annual town meeting in May 2022.
Baker made the annoucements in Lowell after canceling a trip to Charlemont last Wednesday because of the severe damage from a storm in the Boston area. Charlemont received $720,000 to realign a portion of Route 8A, North Heath Road, 550 feet to the east to eliminate a sharp curve. Route 8A is the main access road between Charlemont and Heath and is a popular connector to portions of Vermont. A new catch basin will be constructed and an existing culvert over Mill Brook will be upgraded to improve water quality to the town. The existing portions of the roadway abutting the portion to be shifted will be repaved.
Tags: road project,
