If all goes according to plan, the safety of pedestrians on South Road and connecting neighborhoods will be greatly enhanced before the snow flies.
Monday the Select Board approved a $258,300 contract for construction of a five-foot-wide asphalt sidewalk along the east side of South Road – approximately 2,000 feet — between the end of the existing sidewalk at number 178 and the corner of Evergreen Avenue, where there will be a crosswalk to Liberty Avenue.
Public Works Director David Manugian said work will begin as soon as next week and should be completed by the first half of November, when asphalt plants start closing for colder weather.
Manugian pointed out that this project has been a priority for town committees and the bicycle-pedestrian master plan. He said all is in place for the work, as “we met with stakeholders individually” during the months of Covid restrictions. The contractor is Richard D’Ambrosia, Inc., of Weymouth.
Select Board Chair Margot Fleischman noted that this sidewalk has been prioritized by the Transportation Advisory Committee, as South Road has “limited pedestrian access and serves one of the denser portions of the community.” Evergreen Avenue is the gateway to the Bedford Gardens neighborhood of two-family houses with no sidewalks.
Manugian said the sidewalk will be separated from the street by a three-foot-wide grass strip “where at all possible.” The sidewalk will meet the accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and will include curbing where possible.
In answer to a question from board member Edward Pierce, the director said he didn’t anticipate much impact on vehicle traffic during construction.
Manugian called special attention to the meandering sidewalk plans area in front of 240-244 South Road, which includes the site of a projected assisted-living complex. “Through an idea from BARC (Bedford Arbor Resources Committee), we got an easement from owners and moved the sidewalk in order to save some of the vegetation along the street. So we will meander the sidewalk and save that canopy,” Manugian told the board.
On Tuesday he elaborated on what he called a private-public partnership. “The sidewalk will move away from the road onto an easement across the property, thereby saving some significant trees along the roadway. Thanks to the property owner, Richard Iovino, attorney Pam Brown, the proposed owner, LCB Senior Living, Town staff, and the Arbor Resources Committee for encouraging this outside-the-box planning and all working together on this common goal.”
Fleischman noted that the sidewalk will give young people closer access to the soccer fields near the end of South Road. She thanked the Department of Public Works “for bringing this to fruition, and for the collaborative process with boards and committees and property owners.”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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