Great Barrington — It would appear that the snowmelt – as little there may seem to have been – has now progressed enough to allow the long anticipated Main Street Reconstruction Project to get under way. Work is scheduled to start up this morning, Monday, March 23, at 7 a.m. sharp, when the primary project contractor Maxymillian Technologies will begin working between Bridge and Church Streets on the east side of Main Street.
It is still unclear when Main Street’s pear trees, still awaiting their demise, will finally meet the chain saw. But it could happen any day this week, according to Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce Director, Betsy Andrus.
On Tuesday the work on the sidewalk and parking areas moves to the west side of Main, between Castle and Elm Streets. According to the Chamber’s construction update, there might be “traffic shifts” depending on the scope of the work.
Saw cutting and preparation for sidewalk removal will begin Wednesday, starting on the east side of Main between Bridge and Church Streets. It will be done in stages, Andrus explained. The sidewalk will be cut in half. In the first phase, the sidewalk pavement nearest to storefronts will be removed; in the second phase, the sidewalk nearest the street will be replaced. But at all times, she added, there will still be access to businesses, and two-way traffic will be maintained constantly by police officers directing traffic.
The Main Street Construction Project is a $5.4 million state Department of Transportation (MassDOT) plan to improve the one-half mile stretch on Route 7 from St. James Place — also known as Taconic Avenue — north to Cottage Street. The project will replace roads and pavements, “improve sidewalks, drainage, curbs, traffic signals, crosswalks, and lighting,” according to the Town of Great Barrington. The reconstruction will also add better crosswalks, and bike lanes.
The project will proceed throughout this construction season, and into the following year. During the tourist season in July and August, work will be suspended in the downtown core, from Bridge to Elm streets.
All work begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. After 3:30 pm, all traffic flow is back to normal. For weekly updates, click on the green button on the right side of The Berkshire Edge homepage, just below the “search” window. The button connects to the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce construction updates (scroll down to see the latest construction update). During the reconstruction, the Chamber will provide daily updates on the project, with schedules of where work will be proceeding.
