The $3.4 million reconfiguration of the intersection at Routes 110 and 108 near Kenoza Lake in Haverhill is getting underway.
At the request of City Engineer John H. Pettis III, the City Council Tuesday approved paying about $30,000 to adjacent residents for permanent and temporary property easements. The easements provide access for construction of driveway aprons, sidewalks, retaining walls and stone walls and reconstructing slopes or embankments. Pettis explained how the project would proceed and what the end product will look like.
“The city hires a consultant. The consultant designs the project per state and federal design standards. I guess the biggest thing is the alignment where the two roads meet. (Route) 108, as you come down the hill, will kind of tee off onto 110. There will be a left turn lane to head out towards the highway. There will be a right turn lane to head back towards the city. When you are on 110 and you’re approaching 108, there will be a left turn lane which we don’t have right now,” he explained.
As WHAV reported first in 2019, Winnekenni Park is also expected to benefit from a new sidewalk connection while a currently paved area will be converted to grass and dedicated bicycle lanes will be installed.
Councilors gave the go ahead to the project by a unanimous vote. Councilor Thomas J. Sullivan said it is a project welcomed by area residents.
“Thank you. You know that’s my neighborhood and the neighbors have been concerned about that area for a long time. I do think that this project will provide the changes that are needed to create safety in turning and all the rest of it,” he said.
Pettis said the timeline will probably have the project going out to bid in August and would likely be awarded in November with work getting underway next Spring. He said the entire project will probably take until 2023 to complete.
The city also paid for designs, while federal and state governments will pay for actual construction.