By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
North Attleborough is receiving a 50% increase in Chapter 90 state funding recently signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey, providing much-needed funding for maintenance of its local roads and bridges.
$200 million will be distributed to all municipalities based on the standard Chapter 90 distribution formula, with an additional $100 million to be distributed to municipalities based solely on road mileage. Of this $300 million, North Attleborough will receive $1,183,000.
According to a statement put out by state Rep. Adam Scanlon, D-Mansfield, the Chapter 90 bill was passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate before being signed into law by Healey on Aug. 8.
“The House made a commitment at the beginning of this session to provide more funding for our
transportation infrastructure to fix our roads and bridges,” said Scanlon in his emailed statement. “With this fiscal year’s investment in Chapter 90, the House has singled its commitment with the passage of this bill to help our municipal partners address our roads and bridges.”
When combined with a supplemental appropriation bill passed earlier in the year that provided $316,000 to North Attleborough, the total allocated for repairs and maintenance to town roads comes to $1,499,000.
According to Department of Public Works Director Mark Hollowell, the town usually receives around $780,000 a year in Chapter 90 funding.
The rising cost of asphalt, up from $65 a ton in 2012 to $110 a ton today, plays a large role in the town’s paving budget and how much it is able to get done, and Hollowell said a permanent increase in Chapter 90 is something that has been lobbied for for years.
“We’re always in need of more funding,” said Hollowell. “With an extra $400,000, we will add some of that to our roads’ maintenance program, and some of the remaining will go to new construction and a redesign of the intersection of Elm Street and Mount Hope Street.”
Hollowell elaborated further on this project, explaining that this intersection is home to the oldest traffic lights in town, and replacing those along with reconfiguring the layout and tightening up the corners will make a big difference in traffic flows. There is also a cement island connected to crosswalks that is not compliant with the American with Disabilities Act, something Hollowell said will be addressed and brought up to code.
Grant for Kelley Boulevard intersection
In addition to these state funds North Attleborough is set to receive, a $1,572,350 grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Community Mitigation Fund is slated for use at the intersection of Kelley Boulevard (Route 152) and Route 106, with hopes of improving the traffic congestion that residents have long complained about.
“These annual grants help towns defray the costs associated with proximity to a casino,” said Scanlon. “These projects are great, and I’m glad that the Gaming Commission chose to fund them through the Mitigation Fund. As the gambling industry continues to develop, we just need to make sure that the regulations continue to develop with it so that we can continue to protect communities and residents.”
Hollowell stated that North Attleborough is working with the Town of Plainville to bring the project to fruition, and reconfiguring the intersection of Routes 152 and 106 will not only allow more vehicles to get through, but also alleviate the back-ups that occur in all directions.
According to Hollowell, the cost of the project in 2020 was $3.9 million; inflation over the past five years has nearly doubled that number to $7 million. However, a $3.9 million grant from the MassWorks Infrastructure Program, and $500,000 pledged from the developer of a new housing complex on Kelley Boulevard, look to decrease the amount that North Attleborough and Plainville will have to pay.
When all grants and contributions are totaled, about $1.1 million is left for the neighboring towns to come up with.
“We’re doing some things to try and control the cost of the project,” said Hollowell. “You never know, it could be a good bidding climate; I’ve seen projects come in up to half-a-million dollars lower.”