REPRESNTATIVE WILLIAM “SMITTY” PIGNATELLI
BOSTON – Representative William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D-Lenox) secured language for the 4th Berkshire District in the House of Representatives’ version of the FY18 State Budget, which was passed last week.
The language in the final House budget would require that the Department of Transportation study the feasibility of building a new exit between exits 2 and 3 of the Massachusetts Turnpike and report back to the legislature by January of 2018. There are twenty-nine miles between those two exits.
The exact language in Section 71B of the budget reads: ‘The department of transportation shall conduct a feasibility study on a new exit between exits 2 and 3 of the Massachusetts Turnpike. The department shall submit its findings to the joint committee on transportation and to the clerks of the house of representatives and senate on or before… January 1, 2018.
“The distance between exits two and three of the turnpike is the longest on the state highway.” said Rep. Pignatelli. “A new exit there could potentially be a huge economic driver for the area while relieving congestion in Westfield. With the implementation of the new all electronic tolling system, a new exit is more feasible now than it has ever been.”
Although Blandford has long been talked about as the logical exit due to the location of the turnpike rest stop, the language asking for the study is open-ended.
The budget has now gone to the Senate for consideration in a few weeks. A member of Sen. Adam G. Hinds (D-Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden) staff said that Pignatelli had made Hinds aware that he has secured the language in the budget. Hinds is very supportive of the initiative, according to the staff member, and will speak about it with Sen. Donald F. Humason. Jr. (R-Second Hampden and Hampshire) . Hinds and Humason are working together on budget issues.
