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Maintenance issues

Following is Jesse's pre-submitted questions, which were read at the Feb. 10 meeting:
    As the District Councilor for the neighborhood abutting the bridge (Irving Road and Canton Street housing complexes and others outside my district), I've heard input from several residents on this issue. Of course they cite the physical deterioration issues, as do your materials -- that's obviously within the scope of this project. But nearby residents also express a desire for cosmetic improvements -- is that within the scope of this project? For example:
  1. The existing structure is very rusty and has not been painted in many years -- will there be a repainting schedule for the new structure?
  2. The underpass sidewalks are broken in many places -- is sidewalk reconstruction under the bridge included in the new project? Where do the project boundaries extend to, east and west on Canton Street?
  3. The sidewalks and street and grassy areas are very often littered with broken glass and trash -- is the grassy hill up to Rt 24, and the underpass under Rt 24 a state responsibility for maintenance?

    Sincerely, Jesse Gordon, Randolph District 2 Councilor

I expected to hear "No, Mass DOT takes no responsibility for the roadway in the underpass, nor for the appearance of the bridge itself other than the road surface, nor for the grass embankments."

I expected to hear that because, for 20 years of my passing under this bridge, I've never seen it painted, cleaned, or maintained at all!

Much to my surprise, Mass DOT instead DID take responsibility for cleanup -- so now, we have to get them to DO it!

    Here's a summary of the answers during the meeting:
  1. The new bridge structure will be constructed and painted with materials "chosen for longevity" [in other words, there will be a fresh paint job, but no maintenance schedule].
  2. The sidewalk and road surface of Canton Street are the state's responsibility for 80 feet east of the underpass to 80 feet west of the underpass. [In other words, they're resurface about 300 feet of roadway including rebuilding the sidewalks].
  3. Mass DOT takes responsibility for litter maintenance on Canton Street through the underpass, and on the grassy embankments from Canton Street up to the highway. [I asked the Town Manager after the meeting about this -- he said that the Town of Randolph has done that cleanup many times, since Mass DOT has not done it!]

A follow-up letter on the three incomplete answers follows....


Follow-up letter to Mass DOT

The following letter was sent on March 9, 2002, to dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us as a joint letter from myself and District 4 Councilor Chris Alexopoulos. (The bridge happens to comprise the border between our two districts.) You can write to that same feedback email address to follow up with your opinions!


We would like to follow up on questions raised in the Feb. 10 Mass DOT presentation. There are three topics, all concerning maintenance of the Canton Street underpass of Rt. 24. The original question is in blue; the answer provided is in purple; the follow-up questions are in green.

  1. Question: The existing structure is very rusty and has not been painted in many years -- will there be a repainting schedule for the new structure?

    Answer from Mass DOT: The new bridge structure will be constructed and painted with materials "chosen for longevity"

    Follow-up: While durable materials are appropriate, could Mass DOT lay out a repainting schedule in the construction plan? It will presumably be decades before another re-construction, and even the most durable paint won't last that long. The existing rusty surfaces indicate that there was no scheduled re-painting -- could Mass DOT establish a re-painting schedule for the future? Even once per decade would be adequate, with appropriate materials.

  2. Question: The underpass sidewalks are broken in many places -- is sidewalk reconstruction under the bridge included in the new project? Where do the project boundaries extend to, east and west on Canton Street?

    Answer from Mass DOT: The sidewalk and road surface of Canton Street are the state's responsibility for 80 feet east of the underpass to 80 feet west of the underpass.

    Follow-up: Resurfacing the road and sidewalks should suffice for years to come, and our Town Manager suggested during the Feb. 10 meeting that the Town of Randolph could synchronize our own resurfacing to extend along Canton Street. West of the project area on Canton Street is another state project, the Ponkapoag Pond reconstruction of "Fisherman's Cove." Would it be possible to synchronize the Canton Street sidewalk construction to extent to the Fisherman's Cove entrance, several hundred yards west on Randolph Street in Canton? There is currently no sidewalk between the Randolph border and Fisherman's Cove. The entirety of Canton Street, plus Randolph Street to the Fisherman's Cove entrance, are very heavily populated, and extending the sidewalk there would facilitate pedestrian access to Fisherman's Cove.

  3. Question: The sidewalks and street and grassy areas are very often littered with broken glass and trash -- is the grassy hill up to Rt 24, and the underpass under Rt 24 a state responsibility for maintenance?

    Answer from Mass DOT: Mass DOT takes responsibility for litter maintenance on Canton Street through the underpass, and on the grassy embankments from Canton Street up to the highway.

    Follow-up: We are pleased that Mass DOT takes responsibility for maintenance -- but we would like to include an explicit cleanup schedule in the project. Over the past many years, Mass DOT has not cleaned up gravel and glass on the sidewalks, litter on the grassy embankments, and even dead animals on the side of the highway -- Randolph DPW has undertaken these tasks in the absence of Mass DOT. A written commitment for cleanup -- perhaps once per month during warmer months -- would be greatly appreciated.


11-mile Detour?!

    Mass DOT will send traffic on an 11-mile detour on several weekends when the Canton Street bridge is closed for reconstruction. Route 24 will never actually be closed, but will be reduced to one lane at some times. Drivers are likely to exit the highway and drive through town instead, at those times.

  • The recommended detour is 11 miles long, on Rt 138 through Canton then Stoughton Center, then across Rt 24 and through Randolph center and north to I-93.

  • When traffic exits Rt 24 due to lane restrictions, that traffic would go east on Rt 139 to Randolph Center, or west on Rt 139 to Stoughton.

  • Traffic heading north anticipating lane restrictions (as will be reported on your GPS) could exit Rt 24 early on Harrison Boulevard too, heading west to Stoughton Center, or east to South Main Street in Randolph.

  • Traffic heading south anticipating lane restrictions could exit from I-93 early, onto Rt 28 (North Main Street) in Randolph, or Rt 138 (Turnpike Street) through Canton to Stoughton Center.

  • That's a lot of potential traffic going right through the center of both Randolph and Stoughton. Maybe we could do better...?

Northern Detour

  • Mass DOT will hire police to redirect traffic along the 11-mile detour, and will place "Detour" signs along the 11-mile route (see dark yellow line on map below).

  • What if there were a choice of detours, with police directing people either around south OR around north, and place "Detour" signs on the northern route too?

  • The northern route is quite a bit shorter -- about 8 miles instead of 11 miles -- through the Blue Hills State Park -- avoiding both downtown Randolph and downtown Stoughton. (See green line on second map below)

  • The "northern route" would be: North Main Street in Randolph across I-93, then left on Chicatawbut Road in Milton, through the Blue Hills State Park, then left on Rt 138 (Turnpike Street) through Canton.

  • The "northern route" could also include a detour via I-93 directly -- shown in blue on the second map below -- this is approximately 6 miles -- for any drivers preferring a highway detour instead of going through the State Park.

  • The "northern route I-93" would be: North Main Street to I-93 South (at exit 5), then south on I-93 to Rt 138 south (Exit 2), through Canton, then left on Randolph Street or straight on Rt 138 to Stoughton.

  • The "northern route" would divert much of the traffic from the north from downtown Randolph and downtown Stoughton. The two downtowns would still get plenty of diverted traffic from Rt 24 from the south -- but a lot less!


Mass DOT proposed detour



Better proposed detour!

Committee to Elect Jesse Gordon, 52 West St, Randolph MA 02368

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