Fenn Street was just one of 21 roads to be repaved this summer.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — This summer has been one of the more productive when it comes to road paving as 21 roads were repaired and cracks in 41 others were sealed.

 

The work included $3 million in street reconstruction, which was contracted to LB Corp. The company has been working most of the summer with various levels of repairs.

 

"The large contract with street work was with LB Corp," said Commissioner of Public Utilities Bruce Collingwood. "They've been working all summer."

 

And the efforts have been notable as some major roads were included. Fenn Street, a large portion of Elm Street, Egremont Avenue are all among the roads rehabilitated this summer. Additionally, a number of sidewalks were repaired.

 

"If you drive around the city and see how many roads have been worked on, it is unreal," Mayor Daniel Bianchi said.

 

Construction does lead to complaints from drivers who are held up. The mayor said he has fielded many complaints about exposed manholes and raised structures. 

 

"There is a process to it. It really does take a construction season to get things things squared away," Bianchi said. "When you see the amount of work and the difference the pavement management program is having, I think people will come to appreciate it."

 

Some of that process also included coordinating work with utility companies, said Bruce Collingwood. For example, a section of road would be torn up and then the utility company would do its work before the road was repaved. That lengthened the time to complete the roads but also eliminated the need for the utility company to tear it back up.

 

"In recent years, we've stepped that up with Berkshire Gas and Eversource," Collingwood said. "We're just trying to minimize penetrations into the road."

 

Not all of the roads are done yet. Collingwood said most of the work should be completed this fall with only a small amount to return to next year.

 

Bianchi said there will be another round of funds to be released early in the spring for more road repair. The contrast to the last two summers has been notable because, in 2014, the city didn't have a capital budget in place. That was approved in the fall, which was too late to get a contract out. That led to a larger contract being issued in the spring after the City Council approved the borrowing.

 

"We didn't have the capital budget in place so we were able to do some work on our own but a lot of the work wasn't addressed," Bianchi said. "This year with a capital budget in place we were really able to charge from the beginning of the spring on. We were able to get a lot of work done this year."

 

The City Council also approved a capital budget and road repair funding which became available in July. The borrowing for road repairs will likely go into a contract early spring.

 

"We won't use it all [this summer]. We'll have some for the beginning of next year. But, we had enough money to really make a difference," Bianchi said.

 

Collingwood and City Engineer Matt Billetter provided an update on road work as of Sept. 3. Most of the construction on the roads is nearing completion this month.

 

Of the 21 roads, Dowse Place was the one completed. That was scheduled to receive pavement milling and resurfacing with the base structured being repaired.

 

Pomeroy, Elm, Lebanon, Brooks were all scheduled for the same amount of work. The paving has been completed on those roads but driveway aprons and grass repairs will happen over the next several weeks. 

 

Three roads — Cooper, Marshall, and Fenn — received full-depth repairs. Paving on Cooper and Marshall have been completed and driveway aprons and grass repairs remain over the next several weeks. Fenn is scheduled for more paving on Sept. 10 and 15.

 

The most expensive project this summer was a full reclamation and resurfacing of Egremont Avenue. Some 1,469 tons of pavement was scheduled to be laid over 2,116 feet. The pavement work is completed and driveway aprons and grass is left to be touched up.

    

Woodleigh and Savoy were graded and the surface compacted. Adding a few inches of pavement to be placed on top of the gravel roads is scheduled for mid-September.

 

Leona, Harryel, Elaine, Pine Grove, Wendell, Bromback, Otis, Hampshire, Walden, and Alcott were all scheduled for chipseal work. The final paving on those is scheduled for mid-September.

 

Those schedules are dependent on weather. Billetter also added that driveway apron and grass repairs are done after the final road surfacing and can take "some time, especially on longer street like Elm and Pomeroy."

 

Crackseal has been completed on the following roads: Barker, West Housatonic, Holmes, Williams, East, Junction, Charles, Benedict, Bank Row, Park Place, Summer, Onota, Jason, Newell, Meadow, Fourth, Springside, Thomas Island, Thomas, Shore, Green Hill, Eagle, Putnam, Easton, Division, Robbins, Jubilee, Dewey, Stonehenge, Melbourne,  Gifford, Rector, Victor, Row, Park, Beech, Backman, Vin Hebert, New York, Austin, and Church.

 

Morais Concrete Services Inc. was awarded a $514,800 contract from this fiscal year to repair a number of sidewalks. The sidewalk repair funds come from a mix of city funds and the federal Community Development Block Grant program.

 

Brand new sidewalks are being constructed on Holmes — from Williams to Foote — New York Avenue, Bushey Road, Hazelwood Avenue and Cambridge Avenue.

 

Existing sidewalks will be repaired on Peck's, Connecticut, New York, Hazelwood, Revere, North Street, multiple areas of McKay Street, Francis, Summer, Allen, Federal, Maplewood, and Fourth.

 

Wheelchair ramp construction is set for the following locations: