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05/03/2022 04:23 PMDespite a delay in the state’s paving plan to a long stretch of Boston Street/Route 146, the town is moving forward on its sidewalk installation plans. The town already has one stretch of installation underway along Route 77 and hopes to begin the other on Boston Street within a few weeks, with all of the sidewalk improvements set for completion by the end of the year.
The section of sidewalk installation currently underway on Route 77 is designed to reach up to Hubbard Road, according to Town Engineer Janice Plaziak. Residents have probably already noticed the work being undertaken on Route 77. That project will install sidewalks from Adams Middle School, traveling north under I-95 up to the Police and Fire departments, and also onto Hubbard Road where it meets Route 77.
The other project that will address several areas of Boston Street are also set to begin shortly, which will improve a much-used and needed stretch of one of the main arteries into downtown Guilford.
“On Boston Street just west of Lover’s Lane, there is a gap in the sidewalk system,” Plaziak said. “It ends about 300 feet shy of the intersection, so that gap has been noticed, and we wanted to add that in. Because what precipitated all this is that the state was going to pave Boston Street, but now they have notified us that they will not be paving until next year, but that gives us some time to get this work done.”
Plaziak said the crosswalk at Lover’s Lane will reconfigured to integrate handicap access ramps on the intersection. These measures will permit a smoother paving schedule for the state when it does begin that job. According to Plaziak, getting some of the intersection and other sidewalk issues completed first will ensure less digging and construction when the paving projects gets underway next year.
Plaziak said that the sidewalk on Boston Street closer to downtown will also undergo repairs as a stretch of the southern side of the sidewalk has significant deterioration in several spots. According to Plaziak, there will also be a section of sidewalk on South Union Street that will be repaired, as well as proper handicap access ramps constructed at the intersection of Union, South Union, and Boston streets.
“One of the things we’ve done has been working with Guilford Safe Streets Task Force. They are focusing on trying to improve safety around the schools, so we thought we would try and get some improvements knowing that the paving would going down this corridor,” Plaziak said.
The project on Boston Street will also have another component, according to Plaziak. Currently the sidewalk on the north side of Boston Street ends across from the Alderbrook Cemetery. The new plan is to extend the sidewalk all the way up to the intersection at Goose Lane/Sound View, and continuing up the hill to Route One.
According to Plaziak, the plan will extend sidewalks to the east along the north side of the road where they currently end at 356 Boston Street up to approximately 402 Boston Street. A crosswalk will be added just before the small culvert and tidal stream located just west of the intersection of Sound View Road/Goose Lane intersection, moving pedestrians to the south side of Boston Street where the sidewalk will then continue all the way up the hill to Route One.
Improvements to the crosswalks at the Sound View/Goose Lane intersection will also be installed, and then from there the sidewalk on the south side of Boston Street will carry on all the way to Route One at the top of the hill.
“That project has been in the works for a while. The previous engineering department had applied for a grant from the state in 2017, and we got notified in 2019 that we got funded, so it’s been a bit of time and a lot of effort put into designing the project,” said Plaziak. “With state funding, there are a number of approvals that are required, and especially in light of COVID, things moved a bit slowly.”
The state grant provides $285,667 to Guilford for the project, with the town picking up the $120,000 funding shortfall. The state hopes to have the Boston Street paving project undertaken and completed by early- to mid-2023, according to Plaziak.
The delay will actually help in some ways, according to Plaziak.
“They (the state) were planning to pave after the water company came through with all of their work on the watermain upgrades, so it doesn’t make sense to dig up new pavement and patch it,” Plaziak said. “The road is certainly drivable and safe to warrant the delay and it really makes sense to get the sidewalks done and then get the pavement done.”
Plaziak also said that sidewalk repair issues are a constant topic of concern for both her department and residents. Plaziak said that residents should report any and all sidewalk issues to her office so that it can identify problems.
The Town Engineering Department, located in Town Hall South at 50 Boston Street, can be reached at 203-453-8037.