Highway Department

RT. 23/41 Reconstruction Updates

Construction Schedule: Predicted for Fall 2023 to Summer 2024
Crews have completed all the drainage, all 8" water main work, and 40% of the house services (from Rt. 41 up to Kenver). Crews have completed 50% of the electrical conduit work and about 30% of road reconstruction once paving is complete by Monday, September 11, 2023 (Rt. 41 to the Old Mill Restaurant).

Crews plan to complete the water services and electrical conduit work this September and into October. Once the water services are complete, crews can tie in the new water main at the Great Barrington town line, Creamery Rd., and Sheffield Rd. Then discontinue the old water main.

October through December, construction will involve installing curbing and sidewalks from Rt. 41 to Baldwin Hill Rd - all the curbing available for 2023. Driveway aprons at houses and businesses from Rt. 41 to the Old Mill will be paved. Temporary line painting before winter will happen sometime in late October or early November.

December through March will be a winter shutdown.

In April 2024 (weather pending), crews will continue the full-depth reconstruction from the Old Mill to the Great Barrington town line, followed by the curbing, sidewalks, and remainder of driveways (+/- 3 months of work).

Plantings, lawn restoration, and traffic sign installations will occur once the curbing and sidewalks are complete. New guardrail and millings under the guardrail will be installed simultaneously. 

By mid to late summer, crews expect to pave the surface course of the blacktop, add line painting, and perform any final restoration/punch list items to complete the reconstruction. 

Light Poles
On July 25, 2023, work began on the new light poles along Main Street (Rt23/41), South Egremont. The general contractor and the electric subcontractor will install the electric conduit. Download the PDF for a depiction of the lighting assemblies being installed. The National Grid lights on poles will be removed when the new lighting system is in place.

Twenty-two (22) light poles will span Main Street from Rt 41 to Creamery Road - along the sidewalks on each side of the road, at intersections, and at other key points.

Water Lines
Work on waterline services on Main Street from Old Mill to the Great Barrington border will begin in October 2023. Expect one-lane traffic. 

Crews have already installed the water main line. Service lines are complete to Kenver, with three more ready for testing. The main line has been chlorinated but not drawn or tested and can't be until all service lines are done. The main line is not yet hooked to Sheffield Road, Creamery Road, or the old line going into Great Barrington. The reclamation and paving take priority because the blacktop plant closes in the fall,

Main Street Condition
Main Street remains challenging to travel. Our police have noticed that when construction is not taking place, drivers try to avoid rough spots, driving down the wrong traffic lane and not proceeding cautiously. If you move slowly and with extreme caution, you can remain in your marked lane. Please abide by the speed limit if you avoid Main Street and travel on outlying roads.

Tree Clearing
Clearing trees near Turtle Rock was necessary for the rip rap slope work and concrete level spreader. Approximately 45 new plantings are going in there, including 20 dogwood trees and a mix of 25 elderberry and arrowwood shrubs. When these plants are established, they will look natural and blend into the existing landscape.

Reconstruction Overview

MassDOT awarded Berkshire-based and family-owned J.H. Maxymillian Inc. the $7.77+ million contract. 

As of October 3, 2022, work has begun on the reconstruction project involving Main Street, So. Egremont. This fall, Maxymillian will focus on surveys, pole location marking, tree protection, and some drainage work. As part of the drainage work, turtle sweeps and protection measures will occur near the RT 41 intersection and the dam. MasWildlife is involved in the turtle sweep and protection actions, providing weekly inspections throughout the reconstruction. Utility work (approx. 227 days worth) on some 45 poles may begin within 90 days and continue, if weather permits, through the winter. The bulk of the reconstruction will get underway in 2023.

MassDOT will make weekly reports to Town Hall on progress and detail the work to take place the following week. The completion date is tentatively September 25, 2024.