Winter is finally leaving and leaving behind its annual gift of annoying potholes. Lots of annoying potholes. Like last winter, we started off okay, only to get pounded in February and March. North Road looks like a jigsaw puzzle, North Elm is down to the aggregate layer at Mestek, and lower Notre Dame is impossible to navigate without hitting multiple fractures and holes. Cold patch only last until the next storm; at this point, we’re all counting the days until the asphalt plants reopen.
Speaking of North Elm and Notre Dame, design plans continue for the redesign and upgrade of that intersection. Along with better demarcation of turning lanes, the biggest improvement should come in the area of drainage. Anyone who has driven through that intersection after a heavy storm knows that the water seems more inclined to drain into the street rather than away from the intersection as would be expected. There is also a proposal to add a center turn lane for the business properties to keep the flow of traffic moving from the Pike to the Bridge and vice versa.
Down the street, the city has decided that it makes more sense to restore the new road heading up the Drug Store Hill back to two lanes. The two downhill lanes were a little confusing as they turned into three different lanes on the bridge, and the right-hand turn from Elm Pizza up the hill was extremely tight. Two lanes just makes more sense, and the road will be restriped soon. Personally, I’m just glad the bridge is finally completed and open.
Further up in Ward One, the city has finally proposed a traffic light for the intersection of Southampton Road and the North Middle School access road. The objective is to not only allow for easier access to the North Middle School and Southampton Road Elementary School, but to break the traffic flow in such a way that it will ease access to Routes 10 & 202 from Sunset Drive and Woodside Terrace. Let’s hope the Commonwealth agrees with our idea, as the North Side has been waiting for this sort of relief for a long time.
Finally, while we’re under the theme of construction in Ward One, the City Council is poised to vote on a Statement of Interest with regard to renovating and upgrading our High School, which is 42 years old. Of particular concern is the science wing, which is outdated compared to current Massachusetts academic standards. Approving the SOI informs the Commonwealth of our interest in undertaking the project and puts in line for project review, funding, and bond reimbursement. We’re still years away, but the process has to begin sometime, and that time may be next Thursday night.
Just a reminder: for most of us, automobile excise bills which were mailed at the end of February for vehicles registered in Westfield are due on Friday, March 28. Don’t be late – even one day late can lead to penalties and interest.
Lá ‘le Pádraig sona daoibh! – Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Christopher Keefe
