 New traffic lights on Summer at Hospital Road lead to backups, commuters say. The state vows to make adjustments.
Summer Street reconstruction is expected to be completed by early next summer now that the state has approved long-disputed funding of an environmental issue at McClennen Park.
Town Manager told selectmen Oct. 14 that:
- MassHighway head Luisa Paiewonski has signed off on the funding for change orders needed to get the Summer St. project back on track;
- The repair of the methane barrier and the installation of the geo-fabric -- as an acceptable alternative to full-depth excavation -- have been approved and funded; and
- The general contractor has received the approval and order to return to work.
Sullivan wrote in an e-mail Oct. 16 that work on Summer is expected to resume within two weeks so as to complete the section by McClennen Park by winter.
He wrote that the delay "had more to do over the price the contractor wanted for the additional work as opposed to who was going to pay for it. However, if we had said that we would pay for it, I’m sure the state would have said then let’s go."
He wrote that he did not know the amount involved in paying for the change orders.
An Oct. 14, 2007, memo from Sullivan to the Board of Selectman titled "Summer Street Update" spelled out the resolution of a number of concerns. The memo is provided in full.
The board discussed the memo. Selectman Jack Hurd moved to receive report of town manager, seconded by Selectman Diane Mahon. The vote was 5-0.
On Friday, John Bean and I met with District 4 Highway Engineer, Patricia Levenworth and Project Manager, Mark Cain. The following issues were discussed:
1. Project schedule. What is the schedule for completion of the work?
Within the last week, the state has finally approved the two outstanding change orders and has ordered the contractor to proceed with the work. It is realistic to expect the project to be 100% done by early next summer.
2. Audible pedestrian-button locator beep. Why can’t the volume be turned down to meet Federal guidelines?
The manufacturer has been given an order to modify the equipment to automatically turn down the volume at quiet times to meet the Federal guidelines. Without modifications the equipment is not able to adjust low enough. The State Highway department has agreed to not turn on this beep unless they can be proved to meet the guidelines. They will consider turning off the locator beep if the problem can’t be resolve soon.
3. Lights at Summer St & Hospital Road. There are long delays for east and west bound traffic.
The new signals are activated here, but the traffic-detection loops are not in yet. Upon activation, this controller will self-adjust to the volume of traffic from all four directions. The timing is on a manual setting now and the State will evaluate it and make adjustments. The traffic loops are expected to be in and activated in the next 3 weeks.
4. The driveway at 277 Summer Street. As constructed, this driveway is too steep.
The State has shifted the roadway two feet away from the property and raised the grade almost 6 inches in an effort to achieve a driveway no steeper than existed before construction. What now exists is very close to the average slope before construction but the residents are adamant that their driveway be raised another foot.
A new design has been offered that achieves a 22% maximum slope (equal to the average slope that originally existed). The State Highway Department has accepted this redesign and the abutters have it under consideration.
5. McClennen Park. Are the dying trees caused by the breach of the methane barrier?
The dying trees are not in the vicinity of the tear. John Bean has been assigned to walk the site and determine whether the consultant, Metcalfe and Eddy, should be called in to evaluate these observations.
6. McClennen Park. Wasn’t additional curbside parking and signage planned?
Curbside parking, traffic signage and a crosswalk are included in the construction plans and will be installed next spring, after the main roadway is rebuilt.
7. Traffic signals at Park Ave. Ext. and Summer Street. The westbound signals are mounted overhead on the east side of the interaction, directly above where cars stop.
A change order has been approved and the contractor has been instructed to add one additional signal head for westbound traffic. Once final paving is done, the stop bar will be placed back from where traffic is currently stopping.
8. Traffic signal at Summer St & Ronald Road/Vets Rink. There is a lack of synchronization between this signal and the one at Forest & Summer.
The replacement traffic signals and controller have not been activated yet. This will be corrected when these signals are converted over.
9. Summer Street Baseball Field Mitigation. Didn’t the state agree to replace the backstop and bleachers at this field?
There was a land taking here that widened Forest St., but the state maintains that there was no agreement to replace the bleachers or backstop. We can find no documentation of any such agreement. The only documentation that we could find was comments that sports groups were consulted and that they had no objections because it did not interfere with the ballfield.
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