Probably not until July – that is Mattapoisett Highway Surveyor Barry Denham’s estimate of when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will complete its review process of the proposed reconstruction plans for the Tinkham Pond Bridget culvert on Acushnet Road that has been closed since October 2014.
Denham said it could be anywhere from a week to three months but conceded, “Who knows? It’s probably going to be further out on the three months than the week.”
Preparation work for the construction, said Denham, will only take a couple of days to complete, and the precast concrete culvert installation would only take about a day. Backfill, compacting, and roadway construction would follow the weeks after. That is not the issue though, Denham said. “It’s everything getting to that point.”
Field Engineering Project Manager Ken Motta accompanied Denham to present the plan for the project to the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen on April 14, giving selectmen a brief overview of the status of the project’s progression.
The current culvert has a span of 12 feet, and the project calls for a wider culvert of 20 feet. The blacktop area today is 19 feet wide, which will be expanded to 26 feet at the culvert. Denham mentioned the addition of a “four-foot strip on the south side,” and the addition of a sidewalk to the north.
“It will take a lot of that curve out of that area,” said Denham, making the way safer with guardrails at the brook. “It’s going to be a lot nicer setup than it is right now.”
The crucial aspect at this point is the Mass DOT approval. Then, said Denham, the plans could move ahead to the Conservation Commission for approval and the bidding process could begin.
Selectman Jordan Collyer pointed out that the structure was originally made of fieldstone years ago, and now the replacement of it “baffles the mind.”
“[Now it’s] going to cost two-thirds of a million dollars to replace,” said Collyer, adding on a sarcastic ‘thanks’ to the federal government’s stricter guidelines on this class of project.
But this was an emergency, said Denham, and this culvert absolutely must be replaced. Collyer wondered if the Town could contact Representative William Straus to help expedite the state approval process, citing the matter of great importance because the road is a vital link between Mattapoisett and the neighboring town, Acushnet.
“This is the time,” said Denham. “It needs to be done now.”
Denham said the design presented that evening is not necessarily the final draft of the plan, depending on Mass DOT’s approval conditions.
“We’re pretty confident that what Kenny’s got here on paper is what it’s going to look like,” said Denham, adding that he is not confident enough, however, to put the plan out to bid just yet.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Selectmen is scheduled for April 28 at 7:00 pm at the Mattapoisett Town Hall.
By Jean Perry
