Bel Air Dam Removal and Traffic Control Plan Update

02:05PM / Thursday, June 19, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) have been working with SumCo Eco-Contracting to develop the traffic control plan for the Bel Air Dam removal project.

Two-way traffic will be maintained on Wahconah Street during construction, although there will be a slight lane shift implemented which will be marked by traffic cones and drums. In addition, the sidewalk on the eastern side of Wahconah Street will remain available for pedestrian use throughout the duration of construction and the previously planned pedestrian detour onto the west side of Wahconah Street will not be implemented.

A pedestrian light signal will be installed on the existing eastern sidewalk, at the construction entrance approximately 600 feet north of Wahconah Heights. This new, temporary signal will alert pedestrians regarding the need to halt if construction vehicles are exiting onto Wahconah Street. As previously planned, a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) will be permanently installed at the existing crosswalk on the northern end of Wahconah Street between Wilson and Mohawk

Streets.

As part of the revised approach to traffic management for this project, there may be times when trucks are temporarily queued along Wahconah Street as they wait to enter the construction entrance near the existing dam, which may result in temporary traffic delays for a few minutes while police flaggers manage traffic on Wahconah Street. However, the majority of truck staging will occur at the Wahconah Park parking area, where trucks will wait until they are notified to

advance to the construction entrance for sediment loading.

The Bel Air Dam removal work is expected to continue through 2026. For more information about this project, visit the Bel Air Dam project page.

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ServiceNet Hopes to Open Pittsfield Warming Center in Nov.

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:48AM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A warming center is again planned in the First United Methodist Church for the cold months.

During last week's Homelessness Advisory Committee meeting, Erin Forbush, director of shelter and housing at ServiceNet, reported that they hope to begin operating the nighttime center in mid-November.

It would operate from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. in the church, which abuts The Pearl shelter. Forbush said the warming center would be the same program as in the past.

"Again it's a warming center, so there's no cots or beds, but it is certainly a place to come in, and we'll have a hot coffee or cocoa ready for folks," she explained.

"It will be a place to be inside and warm."

This year, ServiceNet hopes to secure full funding from the state so the warming center can open on Sundays at 5 p.m. In years past, they found that Sunday is the most challenging day for unhoused individuals because many community spaces aren't open.

The First Housing Resource Center, managed by Hearthway, opened earlier this year as a low-barrier option for people to rest and access amenities. It is open seven days a week, and Forbush said if people could come to the warming center on Sundays at 5, there would be a fuller day of coverage.

"It does still leave a little gap for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, as spaces like the library close at five, but we know that Sundays were something that people were looking for," she said.

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