By Barbara Anderson
I am speaking out regarding the resurfacing of runway 11-29 at Hanscom Field beginning August 1st, a project that will last for approximately 6-8 weeks, according to Massport representative Amber Godspeed.
This work will take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;which means massive dump trucks will be going back and forth on our streets with their noise, polluting exhaust, dust and possibly debris. My husband and I were living in our current residence on South Road during the last resurfacing and to have this volume of heavy vehicle traffic in our neighborhood is, for the lack of a better word, horrible. The massive vehicles destroyed the road surface and yet, we’ve heard no mention of making repairs or repaving South Road when this project is finished.
My husband and I did not, nor did any of our neighbors, have advance notice of this construction plan, even though many of them are direct abutters to Hanscom Field. As of today, July 28th, we have not received written notification of this project. We accidently heardof this project when a neighbor made an inquiry to a town employee about another matter and the person she spoke with mentioned the runway project. No notification to any of the people who will be directly impacted by this project, this is inexcusable. My husband will be doubly impacted as he works on Hartwell Road, the other access point for this project. He will have to deal with not only the impact at home but also at his place of employment.
Our neighborhood on South Road is a dead-end street that is a narrow, curvy, 2-lane road WITHOUT sidewalks. Adults and children walk their dogs, ride bikes and walk in the neighborhood because it’s generally safe and fairly quiet. The houses in this area are close to the road surface, most of us do not have large front yards. This is a residential area with many families with small children. We fear not only the noise, the added pollution from truck exhaust, the silica dusk that will become airborne when the milling begins, the mess of debris flying off these trucks but also for our personal health, safety and that of the neighborhood children.
It is our understanding that there is no plan for police presence down at our end of the street, only at the intersection of South Rd and Summer St. We neighborsare baffled at a possible lack of presence in our neighborhood. Who will make sure the trucks are kept moving, not downshifting and creating excessive noise for those of us trying to sleep during the night time, and make sure they are not speeding so we can exit our driveways, receive deliveries and even our mail safely? Mailboxes in this neighborhood are at the road. Who will insure that the beds of the trucks hauling away debris from the runway are covered to limit the amount of debris being deposited on the street and lawns?
We also need more signs for the trucks regarding the speed limit, there is but one “construction vehicles 20 mph” sign on the street, a left-over from a past major project. Those of us in the neighborhoods will not just be inconvenienced, but put at risk. We are angry and feel that our concerns and apprehensions regarding this project are not being given their proper value.
We want to know what Massport plans to do to alleviate the fears and concerns of the neighborhood residents and how they are going to keep this from becoming a nightmare for all of us who live here.
Barbara J. Anderson
South Road
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