CHICOPEE – Mayor John Vieau and Department of Public Works (DPW) Superintendent Elizabette Batista announced a slate of summer projects across the city and its roadways.

After years of preparation, Front Street will be introducing a pilot program that places speed tables along the road. Vieau explained that the area was deemed potentially hazardous over the years due to constant speeding. The mayor hopes the installation of the 20-foot-long, three-foot-tall speed tables will provide a safe solution to the reported issues.

“We’ve deemed Front Street to be a safety corridor. … The goal is to slow down traffic on Front Street,” said Vieau in an interview with Reminder Publishing.

Vieau said that one of the most common citizen complaints during his Spring Neighborhood Meetings was speeding across the city. The mayor expressed his hopes that the success of the Front Street pilot program could be a starting point for addressing the common complaints.

The city is also introducing a slew of resurfacing projects on Gratton Street, Granby Road, Buckley Road, McKinstry Road, Prospect Street and East Main Street. Vieau explained that the city received $640,000 from the Chapter 90 Winter Recovery Assistance Program (WRAP) and deemed safety improvements as a paramount objective with the funds. A significant portion of the WRAP funds will be designated to the East Main Street paving, which stretches from the St. George Church to intersection at Broadway Street.

Batista shared that the DPW is reworking the crosswalks near Litwin Elementary School, among other safety improvements. The area became a location of concern after several public speakout participants in School Committee meetings noted traffic issues. Batista said the project will be completed before the school year starts.

“All the crossroads and anything that’s pedestrian safety will be completed for when kids go back to school,” said Batista in an interview with Reminder Publishing.

Additionally, the DPW is installing a traffic island on Front and Cabot streets to ease the flow of traffic. The DPW also started the Hanson replacement sewer project in June. Batista said the DPW is nearing completion on some other projects, including a new bike path that will be located alongside the Connecticut River.

Readers interested in learning more about the ongoing DPW projects can visit https://www.chicopeema.gov/218/Department-of-Public-Works.