NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A road collapse last year has created a dangerous situation on Walnut Street, say residents. 

 

Richard Dassatti and Joseph Labarbera told the Public Safety Committee on Tuesday that in addition to steep drop off the road, the jersey barriers blocking it off create one-lane traffic on the narrow street.

 

"There's no signs warning of one lane and there are no stop or yield signs," said Dassatti. "It works well in the neighborhood. But for instance, a few Mondays ago when they had an issue with a culvert on State Street and State Street was close to southbound traffic, the southbound traffic was routed up Walnut Street and then through this one-lane situation."

 

Dassatti said the road has been a problem for years and that the former homeowner directly across from the collapse had approached the city at least a decade ago. 

 

In April 2022, the east edge of the road gave way and collapsed, loudly enough that it woke the current owner of the home, he said. 

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said Tighe & Bond had been hired for engineering work at the site but has not yet completed design. 

 

"We are working on an engineering study for the wall. The other issues that have arisen from the storm will be included in our damage assessment," she said. "Unfortunately, the wall itself can't be included. But we're working as best as we can."

 

The mayor was referring to the disastrous rain and flooding that hit the city on July 10, which also caused the detour over Walnut because of the damage on State Street. 

 

Walnut Street runs above State Street and the section that collapsed is above a large gorge just north of the closed Oak Avenue. A pipe runs under the road and was streaming water into the gorge — a 20 or 30 foot drop. 

 

"Also there's no fencing on the other side, protecting like say children or individuals that don't exercise proper judgment could actually just walk off and fall, I don't know how many feet it is," Dassatti said. 

 

Plus, he added, Oak Avenue can't be used as an alternative and Dean Street is also showing deterioration.

 

Committee member Marie T. Harpin, who grew up in the neighborhood, said she'd spoken with the mayor about drainage problems and water runoff on the hillside neighborhood. 

 

"There is that culvert that has been blocked, I guess, since the storm a week ago and the water is still being deterred down the road now," she said. "Each time I drive up there, the road deteriorates more and more. The water is now going underneath." 

 

Dassatti said the storm drains aren't in the proper positions to catch water runoff and wondered if the company that had done the road could be held responsible. Macksey said it was so long ago that that was probably off the table. 

 

The mayor said she would speak with the Department of Public Works about signage and that she would look into the blocked drains and culverts around Rock Street when Harpin brought them up. 

 

"There's people going out there getting into that culvert on a regular basis trying to clear it up," Harpin said. "Some of the residents are 80 years old."

 

Labarbera said they had wanted to be sure the city was aware of the issues and how dangerous the street was. 

 

"The weather's been awful, it's nobody's fault," he said. "But I am concerned about the the various sections whatever we are calling that the potential sinkhole ... that's how they start. They start to collapse on one side, a stream forms underneath and it softens all the material under the road."

 

Labarbera said he was familiar with sinkholes in Florida and was concerned that someone could get caught in one driving over the undermined area. 

 

"We know you're doing all you can but we're just advocating for the city to approach the state and federal government to address this issue which is a result of the climate disaster," said Dassatti.

 

In other business, the committee continued with the drafting of a new taxi ordinance.