Mark Cressotti, Jeremy Cigal, Engineering; Casey Berube, Highway; Joseph Kietner, Stormwater; Ward 4 Councilor Michael Burns and Mayor Brian P. Sullivan. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFiELD – Another major road project currently underway in the city is an approximately one and a half mile stretch of Granville Road from the border of Granville down to Honey Pot Road. Stormwater work began in June, and the road is currently being milled. Paving is scheduled to start late next week, weather permitting, according to Casey Berube, Department of Public Works Deputy Superintendent.
“It’s been on the drawing board for years. Councilor Burns got it done,” said Mayor Brian P. Sullivan on a visit to check out the progress of the work on Tuesday. “It’s called teamwork,” said Ward 4 Councilor Michael Burns.
The teamwork involved the DPW’s Highway, Stormwater and the Engineering departments, and was necessary because of the drainage on the road. Berube said the drainage dates back to the 50’s, and Cook’s Brook, which runs alongside the road was undermining a portion of the embankment. While $550,000 was set aside for the road surface from Chapter 90 funds, another $200,000 was used from the general fund for the stormwater work, which was done in house under the supervision of Berube, Joseph Kietner, Stormwater Coordinator, and the Engineering department.
DPW Deputy Superintendent Casey Berube looks over new swale on Granville Road.
“We’re using more budgeted money, because we wanted to do some of the stormwater work. To make this affordable, we did as much as we could with our own people. It makes a large project more affordable,” Mayor Sullivan said. He said some of the money for the in-house work came from the Meals Tax and Hotel Tax funds.
“It’s a lot of man hours,” said Assistant Civil Engineer Jeremy Cigal.
The team replaced two of the older culverts and pipes on the road emptying into Cook’s Brook, where it was previously washing over the road, and restored the embankment. Four of the drain structures were replaced to keep the water off the road, and they also did 1,000 feet of swale improvement, mostly on the south side of the road. Berube said Granville Road is north facing, and doesn’t get a lot of sunshine.
New culvert emptying into Cook’s Brook.
Kietner said all the rain this summer, which hindered construction, did help them to observe the flow of the water on the road. “During the investigation phase, it was helpful to see,” he said.
“We could have spent $1 million on drainage,” Berube said, adding, “It’s a tricky thing; when it’s functioning, nobody notices it.” He said the city has 120 miles in drainage, “that we’re aware of.”
“With a constrained budget, we’re doing the best we can,” said Civil Engineer Mark Cressotti.
Berube said they anticipate that the stormwater work they’ve done will last the life of the milling job, which they anticipate will be 20 years.
Currently, Lane Construction is milling the road up by the Granville line, where the Mohawk sweeper was cleaning up on Tuesday, getting the road ready to lay down two inches of fresh asphalt. Mayor Sullivan said the goal is to get it paved and completed before the winter.
“This is a proven fact that this is what happens when people work together,” Councilor Burns said, adding, “It’s a long time in coming.”
