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Date: 9/12/2022
EASTHAMPTON – Land surveying to establish existing conditions for the Main Street Transportation Improvement Project (TIP) was scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 6, but due to conflicts with other projects, the Labor Day holiday and rain, the job was pushed back a week.
The land surveying, an essential first step to establishing the conditions of the road marks an unofficial start to boots on the ground work on the project. At the beginning of the year, the Department of Public Works (DPW) and Planning Department released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for Mass Department of Transportation (MassDOT) qualified engineering firms to initiate a long-term redesign plan for Main Street (Route 10).
The project aims to create a Main Street that will improve safety, transit, walking, bicycling infrastructure, street trees, green infrastructure and employ designs that make downtown Easthampton safer and more attractive for users.
Project manager from McMahon Associates Paul Furgal told Reminder Publishing that while there was a slight delay in starting the land surveying, he does not anticipate any surprises to come from the surveying.
“The surveying will provide us with a base plan, the drawing board for the future design and possibilities of reconstructing Main Street,” Furgal said.
The project builds off the City’s 2017 Complete Street Prioritization Plan as well as the 2020 Downtown Strategic Plan and will complement the enhancements to Cottage Street, Main Street, Ferry Street, the work underway on Union Street and the planned improvements to Holyoke Street, Payson Avenue and Park Street. Bicycle and pedestrian improvements to connect the rail trail to the new Mountain View School are also planned.
The project scope is Route 10 from the Manhan River bridge, rotary (including a portion of Pleasant Street), and the upper section of Union Street to the intersection of Main and Park Street and will be led by McMahon Associates.
The next step following land surveying is assessments and mapping of underground utilities and it will occur in the fall. Public outreach, stakeholder meetings and on-the-ground design meetings are anticipated to begin in the spring.
According to Furgal, the assessment of underground utilities is a common practice to determine their condition prior to road reconstruction. If the utilities are in poor shape, they will be rehabilitated to prevent excavation after the road is rebuilt. The city has already indicated they are prepared to make the necessary improvements to the water, sewer and storm drainage systems as needed.
The city is also preparing public outreach opportunities for the spring and will actively seek public input as to what could take place on Main Street through project posters with QR codes for individuals to provide focused feedback. There will also be a series of public meetings, stakeholder groups, pop-up events and a tactical urbanism event with hands on demonstrations of what the future road will look like.
The city will begin development of a website with project updates and timelines. These public engagement events are expected to start in spring 2023.
The MassDOT TIP process is lengthy and has multiple steps, including a 25 percent design public hearing, which is not anticipated to occur until the spring or summer of 2024. Since this is the very early stages of the project, construction is not expected to start until 2026.
Furgal added that the project is still in the initial phases of design and that it is an exciting infrastructure project for the city.
“It builds upon the work performed [in other areas of city]. It is also a great project for art and culture in the city with the connection to what City Space has been doing at the Old Town Hall and other potential development along this corridor,” Furgal said.
A website has been created, and more information will be available soon and will be used to provide updates as the project progresses. To view the website, go to https://easthamptonma.gov/mainstreet.