NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's some good news for residents in the west end of the city: Ashton Avenue has reopened as of Monday. 

 

There's also bad news: Massachusetts Avenue is now closed to through traffic from Ashton Avenue to Protection Avenue for at least the next three months. 

 

The city is using a $2.4 million MassWorks grant to fix infrastructure issues that have slowed attempts to redevelop the Blackinton Mill.

 

A 5-foot diameter stormwater pipe is being installed between Ashton Avenue and Wood Street to address stormwater issues. The 1-foot to 2-foot drainage pipes under Wood and Ashton are undersized to handle the amount of water coming off the mountain to the north. 

 

The waterway under the Blackinton mill and the culverts on Ashton Avenue had become clogged with sediment and debris, causing flooding. 

 

The plan is to replace the existing pipes with a 60-inch pipe down Wood Street and then mostly along the same track, until it crosses under Massachusetts Avenue to the south before the intersection with Ashton to avoid a 24-inch water line. 

 

A box culvert was installed below Ashton Avenue, which has been closed since early spring to allow for construction.

 

Eastbound traffic on Mass Ave will be routed over Ashton to Route 2 and westbound traffic over Protection to Route 2. The city sent out Code Red over the weekend and on Monday morning to alert motorists.