PRESS RELEASE & WEB UPDATE

FROM

THE TOWN OF BELLINGHAM - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

PULASKI BOULEVARD AND CROOKS CORNER CONSTRUCTION

September 1, 2006

CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEWER MAINS ON THIS PROJECT HAS RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED. SEWER SERVICES ARE NOW BEING CONSTRUCTED. CONSTRUCTION OF THE WATER MAINS AND WATER SERVICES WILL FOLLOW IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. THE EXTENT OF THE WORK ON PULASKI WILL BE FROM ORCHARD STREET TO THE FRANKLIN TOWN LINE.

TRAFFIC DELAY AND DETOURS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON THIS VERY BUSY STREET CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS THE CONTRACTOR HOPES TO COMPLETE THE WATER AND SEWER PROJECT BY THE END OF OCTOBER.

THIS IS PART OF THE OVERALL PULASKI BOULEVARD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT. THE WATER AND SEWER PROJECT IS FUNDED ENTIRELY BY THE TOWN AND IS DESIGNED TO FIX OUR BURIED INFRASTRUCTURE IN ADVANCE OF THE STATE FUNDED SIX MILLION DOLLAR ROAD AND DRAINAGE PROJECT. THE STATE PROJECT WILL COMPLETELY RECONSTRUCT THE EFFECTED SECTIONS OF THESE STREETS. THE TOWN MUST FUND THE DESIGN OF THE ROAD AND DRAINAGE PROJECT AS WELL AS ANY NEEDED LAND ACQUISITION. THE MAY TOWN MEETING APPROVED ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO MOVE DESIGN AND LAND ACQUISITION FORWARD. THERE IS AN ARTICLE ON THE OCTOBER TOWN MEETING WARRANT REQUESTING THE APPROPRIATION NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE TOWN’S SHARE.

WE HAVE NO WAY TO PREDICT THE TIMEFRAME FOR THE START OF THE ROAD AND DRAINAGE PROJECT. UNFORTUNATELY THE PROJECT DID NOT APPEAR ON THE DRAFT TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR 2007-2010 RELEASED BY THE REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION IN BOSTON IN JULY. WE HAD HOPED FOR A 2008 CONSTRUCTION START DATE, BUT THAT MAY BE UNREALISTIC AS THE PROJECT IS NOT ON THE DRAFT LIST.

NORTH & LOCUST STREET RECONSTRUCTION:

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE INSTALLED NEW DRAIN PIPES IN THESE STREETS. IN LATE AUGUST, LORUSSO CORPORATION STARTED WORK ON THE TOWN CONTRACTS 2006-8 AND 2006-10 TO RECONSTRUCT THESE ROADS. SOME DRAIN PIPES, TREE REMOVAL, AND OTHER PREPARATORY WORK IS NOW UNDERWAY ON BOTH STREETS.

BOTH STREETS WILL BE IMPROVED BY RECLAMATION OF THE BASE COURSE PROCESS. THE EXISTING PAVED SURFACES WILL BE GROUND UP AND THEN MIXED WITH GRAVEL. THAT MIXTURE WILL BE THE NEW ROADWAY BASE, WHICH WILL BE GRADED AND COMPACTED BEFORE NEW PAVEMENT AND BERMS ARE PLACED. THE PROJECTS WHEN COMPLETED WILL BE NEW ROADS FROM THE BASE TO THE TOP.

LORUSSO CORPORATION’S SCHEDULE FOR THE TWO PROJECTS IS AS FOLLOWS:

· LOCUST STREET WILL BE RECLAIMED IN MID SEPTEMBER AND RESURFACED SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WITH ALL PAVING WORK DONE BY LATE SEPTEMBER.

· NORTH STREET WILL BE RECLAIMED IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND RESURFACED SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WITH ALL PAVING WORK DONE BY THE END OF OCTOBER.

TOWN CENTER SIGNAL CONSTRUCTION:

BOTH THE TOWN AND WALGREEN’S SITE DEVELOPER ARE WAITING FOR FINAL TRAFFIC SIGNAL PERMIT APPROVALS FROM THE MASS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. NO WORK CAN PROCEED WITHOUT SIGNAL PERMITS, BUT THEY SHOULD BE APPROVED SOON. THE NEW TRAFFIC SIGNALS THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED BY THE WALGREEN’S SITE DEVELOPER AT THE SOUTH MAIN AND MECHANIC STREET INTERSECTION SHOULD BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION THIS FALL. THE TOWN PROJECT TO UPGRADE THE EXISTING SIGNAL IN FRONT OF TOWN HALL AT THE NORTH MAIN AND MENDON STREET INTERSECTION WILL NEED TO BE BID AND WILL LIKELY NOT BE UNDERWAY UNTIL NEXT SPRING.

WE APPRECIATE THE PATIENCE OF OUR RESIDENTS AND THE MOTORING PUBLIC AS WE CONTINUE IN THE TRULY NEVER ENDING BATTLE TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

END