Pittsfield Updates Pothole Plan

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Commuters and residents can rejoice, the city has a plan to address potholes caused by inclement and inconsistent weather this winter. 

On Friday, the city of Pittsfield announced an update to its Pothole Management Plan. A two-phased approach will be implemented over the next couple of months, and residents are asked to report potholes on the PittSMART online reporting system. 

The city reports that potholes have been addressed on 18 streets, including Crane Avenue and West Street, and will resurface 17 streets, including the state project on East Street from Lyman Street to Merrill Road. 

Between now and late March, the Department of Public Services will patch potholes along the main routes first and then on secondary and neighborhood streets. Crews will use asphalt once the plants are open to make the patches last longer. 

As of February, 4.5 feet of snow has fallen on Pittsfield during the winter season,  and contractors worked more than 4,000 hours to plow it. 

The Highway Division had seven vacancies this plowing season and remains short-staffed.  Pittsfield issued a request for proposals for a contractor to help with pothole repairs, who should be on board by the end of March and ready to begin work when asphalt plants open. 

The department uses a pavement recycler called a Bagela to make hot mix, and the mix is placed in a hot box that holds 1.5 tons of asphalt that can be used in two to three hours, depending on the quantity, proximity, and size of potholes.

"Some roads will require more than one day to complete. It is important to note that this work is weather
dependent and is temporary until the asphalt plants open for the season," the city wrote on Friday. 

Pittsfield uses the three asphalt plants in Pittsfield, Lenox Dale, and West Sand Lake, N.Y., that are expected to open between late March and mid-April.  

Patch work will be done every weekday as weather allows, and more streets will be covered simultaneously as asphalt is more readily available, the city said. The work will be done in coordination with road work projects planned for this year, and additional resurfacing projects will be announced for the fiscal year 2027. 

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's $10 million project from the intersection of East and Lyman Street to the intersection of East and Merrill Road is planned to begin in March or April. 

It aims to improve safety, accessibility, and aesthetics with minimal environmental impacts.  Project elements include widening of the existing roadway, turn lanes at intersections, a 14-foot grass median, reconstructed traffic signals, and infrastructure that is currently lacking.

The Federal Highway Administration is funding 80 percent of the total construction costs, with MassDOT funding the additional 20 percent. 

J.H. Maxymillian was awarded the contract through August 2028. 

As of Friday, the Highway Division has addressed potholes on several streets, including but not limited to:

• Adam Street
• Barker Road
• Clinton Avenue
• Crane Avenue
• Dan Fox Drive
• East New Lenox Road
• East Street

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