CHESHIRE -- More construction is slated for Furnace Hill Road, to address reported drainage and driveway issues, planners say, and they’ve set sights on a Dec. 1 completion date.
Two components are included in the new project: the installation of a new berm on the right side of Furnace Hill Road going up, and a leveling off of resident driveway aprons to better suit the road’s grade.
It follows a water main replacement completed by contractor A. Martins & Sons Construction Inc., of Ludlow, this summer. During this project, work at the site was to the satisfaction of few. Town officials, residents and the Highway and Water departments all voiced criticisms. Lawns and sidewalks damaged by heavy machinery, traffic issues, sporadic loss of water among residents and concerns about how the road was repaved were included among these.
The contractor will again step in for the new work.
Randy Brown, a project engineer with Tighe & Bonde, Inc., explained the repairs Thursday.
"We’re installing a new berm along the end of the road to help with drainage issues," Brown said. "There was some concern [among residents] about water shedding onto their property. Hopefully, the berm will alleviate some of these issues."
Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said since the initial project, residents have been frustrated by uneven driveway aprons.
"The aprons on all the driveways have to be fixed at this point,"
Brown said these would also be ad dressed by the contractor.
Francesconi added that -- in addition to fear of washouts among residents and needed repairs to driveway aprons -- sod and loam the contractor recently put down over ruts caused during the main replacement are not likely to last the winter. She wishes for the town to reserve rights to order the contractor back this spring to sod and loam once again, if that is the case.
The construction on Furnace Hill Road is part of a larger, $700,000 town water metering project. It comprises the replacement of 1,200 feet of galvanized water main and the purchase and installation of water meters for each town user.
The project is being funded by the town, with an offsetting $171,000 rural development grant received by the Water De partment last year from the U.S. De par tment of Agriculture. The metered water system is expected to be completed by June 2013, Water Commissioner Pat rick Klammer said.
To reach Phil Demers, email
pdemers@thetranscript.com.
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