Roadway Improvement Plan

/222/Rutted-Potholed-No-MoreThe ten-year roadway improvement plan was first adopted by the Board of Selectmen in 2008. Since its inception, some $6,370,000 in roadway improvements have been completed with funding from a combination of annual budget appropriations, Chapter 90 state aid, and short-term borrowing within the Proposition 2½ levy limit. Roads are addressed on a priority basis established by the Selectmen in consultation with the Highway Department. Current projects planned include Harvard, Nashoba, and New Estate Roads. See March 2013 plan update (PDF).

Harvard Road

On March 15, 2013, the Board of Selectmen awarded a contract for Roadway Reconstruction of Harvard Road to P.J. Albert, Inc. of Fitchburg, MA at its low bid of $1,646,846. On December 19, 2011, the Board had approved a contract for $100,369.97 for design, permitting and bidding and construction services for Harvard Road with Green International Affiliates, Inc. of Westford MA.

Supplemental Borrowing Approved by Town Meeting

Voters at the November 14, 2012 Special Town Meeting approved an additional $1,000,000 in borrowing authority for the roadway improvement plan.

Nashoba Road, New Estate Road

On August 13, 2012, the Board of Selectmen voted to approve contracts for engineering services with Green International Affiliates, Inc. of Westford MA: (1) for Survey, Engineering and Design of Nashoba Road ($135,193.06); (2) for Survey, Engineering and Design of New Estate Road ($136,066.67); and (3) for Survey, Engineering and Design of the New Estate Road intersection at Ayer Road ($17,777.86).

Roadway Improvement Plan Amendments in 2011

On December 19, 2011, the Board of Selectmen voted to approve changes to the priorities in the roadway improvement plan (PDF) as recommended by the Highway Operations Manager, including moving Harvard Road up to Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 from FY 2017; moving Taylor and Harwood Streets back from FY 2014 to 2015 to FY 2019 to 2020; and adding New Estate Road for FY 2015. Plan revisions (PDF) reflected:

• Completion of Goldsmith and Crane Roads, with Bruce and Whitcomb scheduled for completion this fiscal year.
• Updating the estimated project costs based on the actual costs for recent improvements completed for Crane, Bruce and Whitcomb Roads
• Moving Harvard Road up from FY 2017 to FY 2013 as the road conditions have declined more rapidly due to weather related incidents since 2008.
• Moving Taylor and Harwood Streets from FY 2014 to 2015 to FY 2019 to 2020 as crack-sealing maintenance has been able to preserve current pavement conditions.
• The addition of New Estate Road for FY 2015 as the road conditions have rapidly declined the past few years.

Crane Road Reconstruction

The Board of Selectmen had voted on May 25, 2010 to award a contract for reconstruction of Crane Road to P.J. Albert Inc., of Fitchburg, MA at its low bid of $297,633.70.

Whitcomb, Bruce Design

The Board also voted to on May 25, 2010 award a contract for design services related to the reconstruction of Whitcomb Avenue and Bruce Street to successful proposer Green International Affiliates, Inc. of Westford, MA at not to exceed $99,842.52. Whitcomb/Bruce local concerns meetings were conducted on November 17, 2010 (PDF) and December 8, 2010 (PDF).

Goldsmith Street Reconstruction

On June 26, 2008, the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)'s Transportation Planning and Programming Committee formally adopted amendments to the Federal Fiscal Year 2008 TIP (PDF) (Transportation Improvement Plan), which includes $4.2 million for Goldsmith Street, Littleton. The Committee had given initial approval at its meeting on May 22, 2008, which then triggered a required 30-day public comment period. With the action on June 26th, that funding is officially in place. MassHighways opened construction bids on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 2 pm in Boston. The apparent low bid of $3,212,757 is $800,000 below MassHighway's estimate of $4,013,177 for the construction contract. See the bid results (PDF).

On December 1, 2008, the Board of Selectmen voted to authorize execution of the City-Town 110% Agreement Number 57076 between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, acting through the Massachusetts Highway Department, and the Town of Littleton relative to the Goldsmith Street reconstruction. The construction bid came in at $3.212 million, and this standard "110%" contract requires the Town to cover expenses incurred at 10% above that, or greater than $3.534 million. The project consists of improvements to Goldsmith Street from the intersection with Route 2A/110 to the intersection with Shaker Lane, a distance of approximately 1.45 miles. Sidewalk and landscaping improvements will also be provided. The total project cost is $5.2 million, of which $1 million will be paid by the Town through the funds unanimously approved by the May 5, 2008 Special Town Meeting. The project has been put out to bid by the Massachusetts Highway Department. The projected start is the Spring of 2009. Read the Littleton Independent story.

Download the PDF file of the plans and specifications (PDF) for the project as bid by MassHighways: Caution: large file (17 MB). Sheets 4 through 17 show details beginning at the intersection with King Street (Sheet 4) and ending at Shaker Lane (Sheet 17). Links to those sheets follow. See cover sheet (PDF).

Roadway Improvement Plan

To address the condition of local roads in Littleton, the Board of Selectmen voted on March 10, 2008 to support an $8-million roadway improvement plan (PDF), which would be funded inside the property tax levy limit, without any overrides of Proposition 2 1/2. The funding plan includes use of some $500,000 per year in operating budget monies, and an estimated $260,000 in Chapter 90 highway funds from the State. May 5, 2008 Town Meeting voters approved initial borrowing of $1 million for this project. Another $1 million in borrowing will be requested in 2013, and a final $800,000 in FY 2018. The Town will also continue to pursue additional state funding to help offset the local cost of this project. This plan does not involve any use of cell tower revenues, which prior town meetings have designated for conservation land purposes. See the detailed spreadsheet (PDF) with financing assumptions.

Note: As revised by the Board of Selectmen on July 14, 2008

Google Maps Street View

Use the Google Maps Street View to view and navigate within street-level imagery. Here's how:

• Blue outlines show roads where street view is available.
• This icon shows where you are on the map. The green arrow points in the direction you're looking. You can drag the icon to navigate to a different location. You can also just click on a blue-outlined road to go there.
• Drag the street view to look around 360 degrees. Use the arrow buttons to navigate down the street. You can also use the arrow keys on the keyboard.