AGAWAM — The City Council recently approved land takings by eminent domain for the state’s Maple Street Safe Routes to School Project.
According to Public Works Superintendent Mario Mazza, the project will consist of installing a shared-use path at O’Brien’s Corner and along Maple Street to Walnut Street. The intersection of Bridge and Maple streets will be raised in order to slow down cars. There will also be new crosswalks and flashing beacons at the intersection. Maple Street will also be repaved up to Walnut Street, which is the town’s contribution to the project.
“It provides many different ways for kids to access the school system in a safe way,” said Mazza.
He also tied it to other efforts like Complete Streets projects and bike lane installations, saying that, “we’re just trying to make the town accessible by other modes of transportation, not just vehicles.”
Sapelli School, formerly known as Robinson Park School, is on a side street accessed from Maple Street, and many of the K-4 students there get to school by walking along Maple Street and through O’Brien’s Corner. Some older children from the neighborhood who attend Doering School, on Main Street, also walk to school via Maple Street.
Mazza said the total cost is close to $4 million. At the City Council’s Sept. 16 meeting, Councilor George Bitzas said only $650,000 will be the responsibility of the town. He said the project will result in $52,650 in payments to the owners of the taken parcels. The City Council approved funding for the land takings in the fiscal year 2025 budget.
“I believe it’s the best interest of the city of Agawam to complete the construction of Maple Street, for the safety of our children and of course our people,” he said.
Mayor Christopher Johnson said the takings consist of “temporary construction easements” and “small permanent easements.” Most are temporary. The permanent ones will help with relocating poles and curbs, among other things. A total of 35 properties along the Maple Street corridor will be affected.
Now that it’s been approved, Mazza said the town has some work to do with the state Registry of Deeds. Afterwards, it’ll submit the easement paperwork to the state Department of Transportation for it to review. He expects the project to go out to bid after the winter holidays and for construction to start in spring 2025. Hypothetically, if the project started May 1, paving should be in June or July, he said.
In other business, Mazza said it looks like the May Hollow culvert replacement project will be delayed until spring 2025. The last time the town did a culvert-related project this time of year was on North Street, which saw delays due to broken machinery at a Vermont plant producing construction materials, and the asphalt production plants’ mandatory winter break.
“The safe bet from the town’s side is to wait and do this one in the spring,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any imminent danger from the culvert itself.”
