WHATELY – The rehabilitation of Haydenville Road project of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) was presented to the public last week, after 10 years of delays and planning.

According to Greg Frazier, MassDOT project manager, the work to improve 1.7 miles of Haydenville Road, between the Williamsburg town line and the bridge located just south of the Conway Road intersection, will cost about $10 million, excluding costs for acquiring rights of way. Federal aid will cover 80 percent, with the state MassDOT paying 20 percent.

The project will be completed in 2024. “Once begun,” Frazier said, “it will take a couple of construction seasons to complete. We’re still in the early design stages.”

A Need for Project form was first filed with the MassDOT in 2009 for the Haydenville Road project, which received first approval in 2011. Frazier said surveys began in 2017, roadway options were developed by 2019, and MassDOT officials began meeting with representatives from utility companies in 2021.

The Zoom conference on Jan. 12 sought comments from the public. Following a slide presentation, most of the comments made by area residents and officials were in support of the proposed work. Penny Robbins called in to voice a concern about the project’s high cost. She asked if the design exceeded environmental and safety considerations.

“Let’s look at the $10 million price tag,” Robbins said. “We are the taxpayers for that project ... Let’s make sure we’re staying closely attuned to what this project needs to do.”

Frazier detailed his department’s goals. The work will center on reconstruction of the road, including base layers; replacement of the guardrails; and relocating and/or replacing utility poles. There will be new signage, generally and for bicycle traffic; wider shoulders and permanent road markings; and better drainage from new culverts and landscaping. The culverts will be slightly extended to add stability to the road and enable the installation of guardrails.

The roadway will feature travel lanes narrowed to 10 or 12 feet, with a total paved width of 28 feet. The roadbed currently has 28 feet of pavement, with two feet of shoulder on either side. Safety of pedestrians and bikers was a primary consideration and the design will facilitate non-vehicle travel.

“The proposed roadway is just a little bit narrower,” said Audrey Beaulac, a senior transportation engineer with Hoyle, Tanner & Associates. “It does have a defined shoulder for greater safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.”

Frazier said that Haydenville Road sees traffic of 1,600 vehicles daily. The road is a passthrough to Interstate 91, and according to Jonathan Edwards, chair of Whately’s Selectboard, the benefits of the project will be region-wide.

“This project will benefit many more people who live outside Whately, who use this as a pass through. The benefits are largely economic development benefits for the region,” Edwards said. “I do not believe the road will see increased traffic because it is the only thoroughfare with any expedience from one area to another.”

Much of the presentation focused on the layout of the project along its 1.7 mile length. Property owners from 72 to 149 Haydenville Road were able to see the easements, landscaping, and design details under consideration. Frazier repeated that input from the community may still have an impact on the project design. Each property owner will have a dedicated liaison to answer any questions they may have.
Keith Bardwell, head of Whately’s Highway Department, will meet with homeowners and respond to any concerns.

“I will be a facilitator and be coming around to talk with you, about each one of your easements...so I will be contacting everyone on a one-by-one basis,” Bardwell said. “I’m pleased that we’re at this point, here tonight, and I look forward to when this project is completed.”

Nikki J. Peters, community compliance officer of MassDOT’s Right of Way Bureau, reassured residents they will be compensated if work on the project impacts their property.

“Through the right of way process, your contact will reach out to you about impacts to your property,” Peters said. “They’ll send you a letter of intent, and you will be qualified for any just compensation. You will receive just compensation for any of those alterations.”

Initial work will begin on the Rehabilitation of Haydenville Road project this spring and be completed in 2024.