The Patel family, along with local and state officials, celebrate the ground breaking ceremony for the new Pilot Travel Center being built in Chicopee.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
CHICOPEE — Local developer Dinesh Patel, in partnership with DVR Ventures and Pilot, hosted a groundbreaking event on Aug. 12 for a new Pilot Travel Center located at 357 Burnett Rd.
The ceremony featured many stakeholders, including Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Chicopee Mayor John Vieau and other local and state elected leaders.
This long-anticipated development was described as more than just a travel center, but a solution to the persistent traffic congestion along Burnett Road.
Eighteen-wheel tractor trailers and other large trucks notoriously have clogged the area’s roads.
Patel paid for an intensive traffic study conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The study showed that the new Pilot Travel Center will offer a safe, accessible location for trucks to refuel and exit without ever having to travel down Burnett Road.
“This project is a win for Chicopee residents, commuters and businesses alike,” said Patel. “We’re excited to welcome a nationally recognized brand that brings jobs, revenue and relief to our traffic issues.”
The groundbreaking ceremony has been a long time coming as the original plan was unanimously voted “no” by the City Council in 2022 and the decision was upheld in the Hampden Superior Court after the applicant filed for appeal in June 2024.
Before the project was approved, many residents, especially those in Ward 6, or who live by Burnett Road, spoke against the proposed plan due to the amount of traffic and accidents endured on that road already.
Residents talked about the horrific accidents they have already seen on Burnett Road, the traffic and their hesitation to allow their kids to walk on that Burnett Road to get to school. They also said that they thought the truck stop would only add to the traffic on Interstate 90 and Interstate 291.
The project was approved in December 2024 during a City Council meeting where the council voted to approve licenses for a truck stop and travel center on Burnett Road.
The final vote was approved 10-3, and based on the licenses, the Pilot Travel Center will include a 16-pump gas station, a seven-position refueling area for tractor trailer trucks, a Wendy’s restaurant will be open 24/7 and will provide other amenities for truckers.
The approved application submission remained the same as the one in 2022 and now that it’s approved, the three year saga of this project will see significant progress.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, besides offering traffic relief and improving safety, the project will also have an economic impact. Pilot is projected to contribute nearly $1 million annually in local taxes, including real estate, gas and meals taxes.
The development will also generate 70 full-time and 20 part-time jobs for the region. A representative from Pilot said there will be an emphasis on hiring people from Chicopee to show its commitment to the future of the city.
The project is being developed by Patel, a well-known entrepreneur and business leader committed to local economic growth.
Driscoll said, “It really is an American dream come true. A family that moves here, is welcomed by the community in Chicopee and then gives back by investing and continuing to find ways to ensure that they work that they are doing is benefiting community members.”
Driscoll said the goal of the state administration and herself is to support growth and investment.
She stated, “I think it’s really worth it to be able to have a large, national, corporate partner like Pilot, investing in Massachusetts, producing jobs, tax revenues, benefiting not just folks locally, but travelers who might be coming in to Massachusetts. To be able to have a wonderful stop where you can refuel your body or your vehicle in a place that’s clean and friendly and welcoming, that means something, it says something about your community.”
Pilot Flying J is a travel center network with over 750 locations offering truck stops and truck parking. They are a Berkshire Hathway owned company, owned by Warren Buffet and Vieau stated, “We’re excited to have a Fortune 500 company investing in the city of Chicopee.”
Vieau talked about how beneficial and successful the travel center can be because it is placed at what he referred to as “the crossroads of New England.”
“This is where all the roads intersect, right here in Chicopee, right at the former Exit 6 of the Mass Pike coming right here to [I-291]. This is one of the largest developments in our city. It may seem small scale but it’s a very significant, significant investment that is going to bring jobs and opportunities for people.”
