Public Meeting Notice  New Marlborough bridge replacement project on Umpachene Falls Road over the Konkapot River

A Design Public Hearing will be held by MassDOT to discuss the proposed Bridge Replacement Project on Umpachene Falls Road over the Konkapot River in the Town of New Marlborough, MA.

Purpose:

The purpose of this hearing is to provide the public with the opportunity to become fully acquainted with the proposed New Marlborough bridge replacement project on Umpachene Falls Road. All views and comments made at the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.

Proposal:

The proposed bridge project consists of the replacement of the existing single span steel 3-stringer bridge structure. The proposed new 70-foot Single Span Precast Prestressed Concrete Adjacent Box Beam superstructure will be supported on cast-in-place reinforced concrete abutments. The proposed bridge will have a 15'-6" curb to curb roadway width for vehicular traffic consisting of a single 11'-0" travel lane with two – 2'-3" wide shoulders. The bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since April of 2012 and will remain closed during construction. The proposed detour for vehicular traffic is approximately 3.5 miles in length and will direct traffic up Clayton Mill River Road to the north to Southfield Road and south again toward Hadsell Street. While currently closed to vehicular traffic, the roadway and bridge are still utilized by pedestrians and bicyclists. The bridge will be constructed in two stages so that pedestrian and bicycle access can be maintained throughout construction. Proposed approach roadway work includes the construction of full depth asphalt pavement for approximately 325 feet of the westbound approach and approximately 345 feet of the eastbound approach. The proposed westside roadway approach width from the westerly project limits near Clayton Mill River Road varies from 22'-0" to 15'–6" in width. The proposed eastside roadway approach width to the easterly project limits is 15'–6". There will be no sidewalks on the proposed bridge or approach roadways.

A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project. Acquisitions in fee and permanent or temporary easements may be required. The Town of Marlborough is responsible for acquiring all needed rights in private or public lands. MassDOT’s policy concerning land acquisitions will be discussed at this hearing.

Written views received by MassDOT subsequent to the date of this notice and up to five (5) days prior to the date of the hearing shall be displayed for public inspection and copying at the time and date listed above. Plans will be on display one-half hour before the hearing begins, with an engineer in attendance to answer questions regarding this project. A project handout will be made available on the MassDOT website listed below.

Written statements and other exhibits in place of, or in addition to, oral statements made at the Public Hearing regarding the proposed undertaking are to be submitted to Patricia A. Leavenworth, P.E., Chief Engineer, MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Bridge Project Management Section, Project File No. 608243. Such submissions will also be accepted at the hearing. Mailed statements and exhibits intended for inclusion in the public hearing transcript must be postmarked within ten (10) business days of this Public Hearing. Project inquiries may be emailed to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us.

This location is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request (including but not limited to interpreters in American Sign Language and languages other than English, open or closed captioning for videos, assistive listening devices and alternate material formats, such as audio tapes, Braille and large print), as available. For accommodation or language assistance, please contact MassDOT's Chief Diversity and Civil Rights Officer by phone (857-368-8580), fax (857-368-0602), TTD/TTY (857-368-0603) or by email MASSDOT.CivilRights@dot.state.ma.us. Requests should be made as soon as possible prior to the meeting, and for more difficult to arrange services including sign-language, CART or language translation or interpretation, requests should be made at least ten business days before the meeting.

In case of inclement weather, hearing cancellation announcements will be posted on the MassHighway website http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/.