Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Slow Climb

 These signs spring up like mushrooms on a moist summer morning

If business takes you further south past Atkins Country Market by way of Route 116, be prepared for a slow bumpy ride up The Notch.

Yes, construction continues in the southernmost part of Amherst where the state has expended $10 million in the past two years installing two roundabouts and now this realignment project.

Country Corners Road, Amherst

C & A Construction from Ludlow was the low bidder at $3,128, 938 coming in under the state's "initial construction estimate" of $3, 354, 684.  The project started last fall with the clear cutting of trees and is currently less than 20% completed.   Completion is not expected until the spring of 2014.

 Start of the .6 mile climb

In other words, it's going to be a l-o-n-g hot summer for travelers trying to negotiate that gauntlet.



 
New section of road center, old road on left
Near top, new road on right

Editors note:  This photo shoot occurred after 5:00 PM when construction was done for the day 

UPDATE Wednesday afternoon:  Arrived at base of mountain at 1:47 PM and made the summit at 1:58 PM.  Once I started moving, total time for climb was three minutes.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

40 minute wait on Monday. Sucked.

Anonymous said...

Larry,

Thanks for the pubic service announcement. I don't go that way often and getting caught in that would really suck. Must remember to avoid that road for a year.

Anonymous said...

Spring of 2014?? Are they moving the whole mountain or what?

Larry Kelley said...

Well if the mountain will not come to Muhammad ...

Anonymous said...

Do you constantly have a copy of Bartlett's book of quotations by your side? Every other sentence is some adage or idiom.

Anonymous said...

Heard It Was An Hour Wait The Other Night.

Anonymous said...

Got diverted trying to go to Rte. 9 East via Station Road. There was only one detour sign -- got lost in (I think) Amherst Woods! Bah humbug. Just barely made the meeting in Charlestown. It was 2 hours 49 minutes from the Hess Mart on West St.

Larry Kelley said...

Yeah that's yet another project: DPW is "repairing a water main" on North Street, Belchertown.

One of these days I'll ask why an Amherst water main is located in Belchertown.

Anonymous said...

does this seem like a lot of money to anyone else?

Anonymous said...

I just hope its wide enough so cars can pass bikes. I'm always afraid someones going to come at me over that yellow line on the curves.

Anonymous said...

"Do you constantly have a copy of Bartlett's book of quotations by your side? Every other sentence is some adage or idiom."

It's the Irish background- We made a booklet of my Dad's favorite sayings (He would've sang Danny Boy for you Larry)