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Paving work on Howland Avenue in Adams begins on Tuesday and should be completed by mid-November.

Adams Howland Avenue Resurfacing to Begin This Week

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ADAMS, Mass. — Looks like a clear road ahead for Howland Avenue beginning this week. 

Roadway resurfacing by the state Department of Transportation begins on Tuesday, Sept. 20, so be prepared for slowed traffic and lane closures between the roundabout to the town line. 

The town's been complaining for years about the condition of the four-lane Route 8 highway. The deterioration has gotten so bad, most motorists stick to the left lane to avoid the tapestry of patches and potholes on the righthand side. 

What makes it worse is that drivers heading south come off the recently paved Curran Highway in North Adams and for a bumpy ride into Adams. 

The town owns the Howland Avenue section of the highway but doesn't have the money to fix it. MassDOT is stepping in but this will not affect the larger $6.5 million reconstruction of Howland Avenue scheduled for 2028. 

The work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday and will continue weekly, Monday through Friday, during daytime hours from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. through mid-November. The work will be conducted from the north end of the rotary at Friend Street to the Adams and North Adams town line.

The work will require temporary lane closures to allow crews to safely and efficiently conduct the repair operations. Travel will be allowed through the work zones. Appropriate signage, law enforcement details, and messaging will be in place to guide drivers through the work area. 

Drivers who are traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution. All scheduled work is weather dependent and/or may be impacted due to an emergency situation. 

For information on traffic conditions, travelers are encouraged to:  

  • Dial 511 before heading out onto the roadways and select a route to hear real-time conditions.  
  • Visit www.mass511.com, a website which provides real-time traffic and incident advisory information, access to traffic cameras, and allows users to subscribe to text and email alerts for traffic conditions.  
  • Follow MassDOT on Twitter @MassDOT to receive regular updates on road and traffic conditions. 
  • Download MassDOT’s GoTime mobile app and view real-time traffic conditions before setting out on the road. 

Tags: MassDOT,   roadwork,   

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Adams Sets FY27 Tax Rates; Average Homeowner Bill Rises $130

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The owner of an average home in Adams can expect their property tax bill to increase by $130.51 this year, or about $65.26 per installment for the semi-annual schedule.
 
During Wednesday's meeting, the Select Board approved a 30 percent split shift for fiscal year 2027, which it has done for the last four years.
 
The commercial, industrial and personal property tax rate is $22.20 per $1,000, for a valuation of $940,00 that equates to a tax bill of $20,868, an increase of $648.60 from the prior year, said Town Assessor Paula Grover.
 
The residential tax rate is $16.08 per $1,000 of assessed value, an estimated annual tax bill of about $4,272. 
 
The average single-family home is valued at $265,700, an increase of $700 from the previous fiscal year. The increase is smaller than recent years, with valuation increases largely limited to homes that underwent renovations or other improvements.
 
The town saw substantial new growth this year, totaling $18,163,326, with the majority of that growth coming from personal property.
 
"A great new growth number for our town. So, that's great," Select Board Chair Jay Meczywor said. 
 
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