CABOT – Town Road Commissioner Sig Griggs updated residents about three local FEMA projects that are planned for work this summer in a May 9 social media post for Menard Road, Jug Brook Road and Mack Mountain Roads.
Kirk Fenoff and Son Construction will be doing the work on Menard Road. They have applied for and received an early work permit from the Vermont River Management program so they can begin work much earlier than the state usually allows. Fenoff will begin mobilizing personnel and equipment on and around next Wednesday, May 14, wrote Griggs.
The temporary bridge will stay in place for most of construction, allowing the road to stay open, said Griggs, though there will be delays with trucks bringing in materials for the project.
The crew will work underneath the bridge as long as they can before removing the bridge. Griggs said, “Depending on the weather and subsoil conditions, the tentative plan is to close the road on Wednesday, May 21. Bridge removal will then begin at 9 a.m. and take about six hours. Reopening at 3 p.m.” He said he’d post an update on Facebook as that date approaches, or any delays arise.
Poulin Construction will be working on Jug Brook Road beginning near the first week of June, said Griggs. “Once construction begins, the road will be closed . . . for the duration of the project, which is expected to last 4 weeks.”
A detour in the same location as last fall will be in place until the work is complete, he said.
Kirk Fenoff and Son Construction will also be working to install a new concrete box culvert on Mack Mountain Road. The structure is being constructed off site now, but will take months, so this project is not expected to start until August, said Griggs.
In other road crew news, Griggs reported, “We luckily had a fairly easy mud season thankfully, as Aldo has not returned from his injury and my other crew member Tom had left the road crew to take another career path at the end of March. Harry has been filling in part time when he isn’t working his own business to help keep things rolling as best the two of us can, meaning the times he is busy I have been working alone.
“As there is plenty of work to do, the already long list doesn’t grow much shorter working alone. With what seems like never ending rain lately, we have not been able to start grading roads now that most of them, except for a few spots on Danville Hill and Cabot Plains have dried up. It looks like the weather is looking favorable for this to change next week, so we will be getting out there to make your travels more enjoyable.
“Aldo will hopefully be returning soon and there is a potentially new hire coming soon as well.
Thank you for everyone’s patience.”
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
