RUSSELL – Carrington Road in Russell reopened Thursday in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, after being closed since April 11. The road, which
Carrington Road in Russell reopened on Thursday after being rebuilt with a $1 million grant from MassWorks. (Photo by Amy Porter)
connects Montgomery to Russell, is the only alternate to Route 20, and was missed by many residents and visitors.
Russell Highway Superintendent John R. Hoppe said a section of the road had to be dug down to a stable platform and rebuilt, and the retaining wall, which is on a steep grade over the railroad tracks along the Westfield River, replaced with a new MSE wall (Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall). New drainage was installed to catch the storm water, along with a new road surface to complete the project and make it a two lane road again.
Hoppe said he was able to work with the contractors to lower the existing culverts under the road, something that required a special hammer for the ledge. Hoppe said prior superintendents didn’t have access to the machine to do that work. He hopes the lowered culverts will eliminate the frost heaving along the road.
Almost $1 million of a MassWorks grant was used to complete the project.
“It went pretty good. There were a couple of delays, but we got it done,” Hoppe said. The road was originally slated to reopen June 30.
Russell Highway Superintendent John Hoppe at the job site in April when Carrington Road closed. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Northern Construction Service, LLC of Palmer, Mass., specializing in bridge construction, site work, marine construction, concrete work and utilities was contracted to do the work.
A popular piped spring on the road, which some residents had used for water, was also redirected under the road. Hoppe said the spring’s running water had contributed to the instability of the road, and was also unsafe to drink, as a portion of the spring had run above ground.
During his remarks at the ribbon cutting, Hoppe credited the work of members of the Select Board past and present and former superintendents in getting the project done.
“This project started a long time ago when one of the selectman was walking in this area and saw that a piece of blacktop on the edge of the road had broken away. That was Mr. Ron Merritt and that was the beginning of this project some 10 + years ago,” Hoppe said.
He said Merritt notified then Highway Superintendent Mickey Sharkey to look at the problem. Sharkey and the Select Board at the time, consisting of Merritt, Dennis Moran and Fred Wojcik, worked on coming up with a plan to get funding to have the failing retaining
Russell held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of Carrington Road on Thursday. (Submitted photo)
wall repaired or replaced.
Over the years efforts were also made to slow down the erosion of the retaining wall to the best of the town’s means while looking for funds for the road.
Former Highway Superintendent Michael Morrissey, now Russell’s Fire Chief, was the first to apply for the MassWorks grant from the Executive office of Housing & Economic Development. Under the new Select Board of Nancy Mezger, Keith Cortis and Wayne Precanico. Morrissey applied three years in a row, just missing out on getting approved for the grant, according to Hoppe.
“When I took over the highway department, one of the first things I had to do was apply for the grant. It was tough but with all the help and information that I got from Mike Morrissey from prior grant applications, I was able to get it done on time,” Hoppe said.
He also credited the support of Senator Donald F. Humason, Jr. (R-Westfield) for backing the project with a letter, and thanked Erica Johnson of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission for her administrative support on the grant.
All that’s left now is the line painting, which he hopes to have done next week, Hoppe said.
