Ashfield Street

Road Reconstruction & Sidewalk Replacement

A. Martins Contracting will return in the next several weeks to complete the final pavement on lower Ashfield Street. 

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A binder coat has been put down on lower Ashfield Street and the road way will be allowed to settle over the winter months so a final layer of pavement can be added in the Spring. All utilities and sidewalks have been completed. 

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Construction enters its second week today, Monday Aug. 16th and residents should expect detours from Clement Street to Green Street while crews replace a water main under the railroad tracks. Police detail and railroad flaggers will be in place to help alleviate any confustion. We appreciate your patience.

Construction has been ongoing on Ashfield Street from top to bottom while crews replaced sidewalks along the entire street. A tempoary water main was installed below the railroad tracks and residents were reconnected to it last week. For more infomation about this part of the project please contact the Shelburne Falls Fire District's water department at (413) 625-6734. 

The Town will reconstruct Ashfield Street from Clement Street to Green Street (just below the railroad tracks) and replace sidewalks from Clement Street to Kendrick / Walker Road.

The Town will work with the Shelburne Falls Fire District and the Shelburne Falls Sewer Department to replace underground utilities and make significant improvements to the fire suppression capabilites in the project area.

The work will be completed using a combination of funds from Department of Housng & Community Development's Community Development Block Grant program and MassDOT's Complete Streets grant program. There is $686,798 available through CDBG and $133,000 availabe through Complete Streets for a total budget of $819,798. 

The sidewalk replacement will require the taking of easements from six property owners on Ashfield Street. Voters authorized the takings at a Special Town Meeting on Feb. 13, 2021 and the Town will work with an appraiser and legal counsel to ensure the property owners are treated fairly. The easements are necessary to comply with MassDOT's five-foot sidewalk criteria. An exemption request was submitted to DOT to reduce the required width and to allow the Town to maintain the current four-foot sidewalks but it was rejected by state highway officials. 

The Town issued an RFP for construction services and resident engineering. Bids were due on Feb. 17, 2021 and the Select Board selected a proposal from GCG Associates of Wilmington, MA. GCG completed the original design for the CDBG application and is preparing the engineered drawings for the easements associated with the sidewalk replacement. 

The Town issued an Invitation to Bid for the Construction of the project. Bids are due March 11, 2021. 

Construction will begin in May. 

Documents relevant to this project can be viewed below.