Lee: 3 Miles of Route 20 Being Repaved Next Year
LEE, Mass. — Beginning next year, the state will repave three miles of Route 20 and reinforce two bridges, one over the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Last week, the state Department of Transportation held a virtual design public hearing for the project. In addition to milling and resurfacing of the route, bridge structures L-05-024 (over Greenwater Brook) and L-05-052 (over I-90) will see maintenance repairs.
"We just wanted to thank MassDOT for doing this project. We're very supportive of having the road redone and appreciate the work on it," Town Administrator Christopher Brittain said.
"The town of Lee is looking forward to having the road repaved."
Construction will begin in the spring of 2027.
Traffic will be maintained with short-term flagging operations, and steel plates will conceal deck patching over Greenwater Brook. There will be staged construction on the bridge over the highway, with a single alternating travel lane controlled by a temporary signal.
The project is estimated to cost $6.8 million, 90 percent from the federal government and 10 percent from the state; it is in the FY26 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
The hearing included public information on activities and rights-of-way needs for tree trimming, new utility poles, grading, drainage swales, and a driveway apron along the project corridor, items identified during the late design phases.
The project will stretch from mile marker 20.28 just west of the I-90 bridge over Greenwater Brook, continuing east to the Lee/Becket town line at mile marker 23.15. This section of Route 20 runs through a rural area that is developed with residential homes, a storage facility, a construction business, and two parks with walking trails.
"Our intention is to keep the existing layout of two 12-foot travel lanes and roadway shoulders that vary in width from 2 to 4 feet along the segment. While most of the work is associated with milling and paving of the roadway, the bridge preservation work will include concrete repairs to the top of the bridge decks and existing sidewalks, joint replacement, and a new overlay and waterproof membrane," project manager Anni Autio said, adding that the guardrail within the resurfacing limits will be upgraded and sidewalks and ramps at the Greenwater Brook Bridge will be reconstructed.
Design plans created by CDR Companies were advanced from 25 percent to 75 percent between October 2023 and June 2024, and in February, 100 percent designs were given to MassDOT for review.
During this time, easements were included, and the design team was required to present it to town residents before the last set of design documents was completed for construction advertisement.
The resurfacing and related work on Route 20 will begin just west of the bridge over Greenwater Brook and end at the Lee/Becket line. Bridge work includes minor maintenance repairs and top-of-deck repairs, and this segment of roadway is not part of a local or regional planned bicycle, transit, or pedestrian route.
"A full buildout of the roadway design with buffered bicycle lanes and sidewalks for the length of the project was looked at, but that cost well exceeded the allocated funds and timeline for this project," Autio said.
"Furthermore, the design controlling criteria for potential new features was not met."
A couple of design alternatives were considered: a full build-out with 12-foot travel lanes, buffered bike lanes, and a five-foot sidewalk on each side, and to mill and pave the roadway with 12-foot travel lanes with two- to four-foot shoulders.
There will be permanent and temporary easements along Cape Street for overhead wires, tree trimming, grading, a driveway apron, and drainage swales. Affected property owners will be contacted by MassDOT, as ROW efforts have to be completed before the project can be advertised for construction.
Autio said there is a tight schedule to advertise this project by September to meet the current funding cycle.
"The design package is presently at the final stage known as plans, specifications and estimate, or PS&E. This means that the design process is nearly complete and that the contractor bid package is being put together. Actual construction of the project will occur after project advertisement, bidder selection, and contract award," she said.
"Based on the project advertisement, construction should start about six months later, in the spring, summer of 2027."
Written comments can be submitted to Carrie E. Lavallee, P.E., Chief Engineer, via email to MassDOTProjectManagement@dot.state.ma.us or mail to Suite 7550, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Project Management, Project File No. 610728. Comments must be submitted no later than 10 business days or 14 calendar days after the hearing.
Tags: MassDOT, public hearing,
