LYNNFIELD — The town has $758,000 to spend on repairs planned for eight streets, beginning in August, and on high technology aimed at slowing speeders.
State Rep. Bradley Jones and state Sen. Brendan Crighton supported a state-wide Chapter 90 bond authorization for $408,304 to help pay for local road projects.
Town Meeting approved spending $350,000 on road construction, giving town Engineer Charles L. Richter the green light to move forward on projects.
“We are surprised and very happy to see that we received our full Chapter 90 allotment this year. We weren’t sure what the state was going to do with finances being so up in the air,” Richter said.
During the spring, the town resurfaced part of Main Street and undertook Summer Street sidewalk work and roadway patching. But Richter said larger road projects “were in a holding pattern until we found out how much we would be able to apply towards resurfacing for the rest of the season and when we would receive it.”
Jones and Crighton said they pushed to get Lynnfield the full amount of state money requested by town officials, knowing town resources were stretched thin following the economic downturn that accompanied coronavirus.
“Ensuring that this funding is available to cities and towns is key to allowing for the maintenance and upkeep on our roadways to ensure the safety of every community member,” said Crighton in a statement, adding, “Despite significant fiscal setbacks as a result of COVID-19, we remain committed to meeting these financial obligations that communities rely on.”
Richter said streets slated for resurfacing are: Glen Drive; Chestnut Street (Lowell Street to Tophet Road); Fairview Road; Laurel Road; Sylvan Circle; Sylvan Terrace; Douglas Road and Rossmore Road.
“The utility work for these streets should be completed shortly and in time for us to start in August,” said Richter.
Speeding and safe driving enforcement is another town road improvement priority. Police Chief David Breen said driver and pedestrian visibility around town schools needs to be upgraded along with crosswalk and signal improvements.
Breen said local traffic safety could benefit from installing a speed indicator machine on local streets flashing a driver’s speed and an oncoming vehicle’s speed.
Established by the Legislature in 1973, the Chapter 90 program provides funding to municipalities on an annual basis to assist with critical transportation infrastructure projects, including road and bridge repairs.
The funding is allocated using a formula that is based on the weighted average of a community’s population, employment and total road miles.
Chapter 90 funding can be used for a variety of purposes, including road resurfacing, sidewalks, street lighting, traffic control measures, and roadside drainage.
“The economic fallout from the COVID-19 global pandemic has created a significant financial strain on municipal budgets across Massachusetts,” said Jones.
