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Date: 11/9/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The “Cape Cod-style berm” is no vacation, some residents of Ohio Avenue are complaining.
As part of a $1.5 million project to repave the residential street, road crews have been installing an asphalt curb along the edges of the roadway. The curb is rounded but does not dip for driveways, forming a noticeable bump when leaving the public street.
Mayor William Reichelt asked that residents be patient, as the bump will be smaller when the work is done.
“Starting off, the paving on Ohio Avenue is far from finished,” Reichelt said. “A top coat still needs to be applied to the road, then the driveways will be blended into the Cape Cod-style berm.” All of the paving is set to be finished during this construction season.
He went on to say, “Cape Cod-style berm/curbs are being installed wherever feasible in town as a means to protect adjacent properties from stormwater runoff and plow damage, protect the roadway from degradation over years from driveway seams, and provide a better product to the community.”
According to New England Sealcoating, “The Cape Cod asphalt berm style is becoming more popular for curbing. It has a sloped front, angling from the front base to the top of approximately 6-inch-high back. It looks similar to a triangle.”
Town Engineer Connor Knightly echoed Reichelt’s points, and said the berms are permanent structures and will not be removed until the next time the street needs to be repaved.
Unlike the previous road, Reichelt claimed that this road will be in “solid condition” for 50-plus years.
Knightly said that typically, an asphalt berm is put down before the top course of a road is paved.
“This is why the berm as it exists seems so much higher than the road. When the final course of asphalt is put down, the difference in elevation will be much less, while still functioning as a stormwater gutter and street curb.”
Public Works Director Robert Colson said that the height of the road will be increased 1.5 inches when the finish course of hot mix paving is applied. “[This] will match the front edge of the Cape Cod berm,” he said. In addition, he said that all of the driveway aprons will be leveled out to match the top of the berm.
“I can understand the frustration with change, but the paving project is not complete and should not be judged as such,” said Reichelt.
“The berm is not intended to be a speed bump,” said Knightly. To prevent ponding, all lawns will be loamed and seeded to bring their surfaces up.
Colson added, “The berm protects the edge of the road from deteriorating and keeps the loam and seed neatly in people’s front yards. It protects the driveways and tree belt from snow plowing.”
According to the mayor, the town has invested nearly $1.5 million into Ohio Avenue. The funding has been used to replace the water line and reconstruction of the sewer, following the gas company’s replacement of the natural gas line along the roadway, and is expected to be finished this month.
In addition, Ohio Avenue is one of the first streets that will be receiving a trial run of municipal fiber next year.