by Dan Desrochers and Greg Fitzpatrick
WESTFIELD/SOUTHWICK/BOSTON – Gov. Charlie Baker announced this week that the state would seek $200 million in chapter 90 funds to help with transportation infrastructure projects throughout the state.
Included in those getting funding are Westfield and Southwick, who each have several road construction projects that public officials hope can be done with the funding. However, officials from Westfield and Southwick are not certain how much funding will be available to them, and may have to wait a couple months before they know.
Construction workers participate in road repairs in Westfield (WNG file photo)
“We won’t have the funds until July, but hopefully before then we’ll have a list for priority streets,” Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan said.
The priority streets Sullivan mentioned are streets that he and the city’s engineering department will determine in the coming months that are in need of construction work and improvement. Sullivan said that any money the city receives will go toward efforts to improve roadways, which he said was both a campaign promise of his and a request of residents.
“Chapter 90 money will be used strictly on roads, milling and repaving, just strictly used for road projects,” he said.
Sullivan is unsure how much money will come to Westfield but he does hope that it at least matches, if not extends, beyond the total the city received last year. According to Mark Cressotti, Westfield’s city engineer, cities typically see about $1.22 million per fiscal year in chapter 90 funding.
The $200 million that the Baker-Polito administration is seeking in Chapter 90 funds is nothing new to Southwick. Typically, the funds the Southwick DPW gets is put towards any municipal bridge, road, and reconstruction projects.
Karl Stinehart, the Chief Administrative Officer for the town of Southwick, knows what the needs are for the funds.
“It helps address the issues that have been identified,” said Stinehart.
According to DPW Director Randy Brown, the town usually receives around $360,000 in Chapter 90 funds every year, but it hasn’t been decided yet as to how much Southwick will be getting this year.
Projects on South Loomis Street in the past two years are examples of Chapter 90 funding. (WNG File Photo)
As Brown and the rest of the town will be waiting for that announcement, there is no doubt that the money will be used properly. The Chapter 90 funds are almost always the largest amount of money that the DPW receives for infrastructure and road reconstruction projects.
“We do have some projects upcoming that will certainly benefit from that funding source,” said Brown.
Stinehart mentioned that there is always a hope for more grant money from the state, as Southwick is about 32 sq. miles and over 85 miles of roads.
The DPW is now in the process of putting together a list of projects that would fall under the Chapter 90 funding, but they haven’t decided which projects those are yet.
Brown did say that service treatments and road reconstruction improvements are strong examples of what the DPW could complete with the Chapter 90 funds.
Brown went on to say that road improvements on Bugbee Rd. and South Loomis St. and constructing a culvert on South Loomis St., have all happened within the past two years.
Local State Representatives John Velis and Nick Boldyga and Sen. Don Humason were unable to respond in time to the Westfield News’ deadline.
