For several years now, the Town of Webster has been in the MassDOT Transportation Improvement Project (TIP) pipeline for the design and reconstruction of Klebart Avenue and Lake Parkway, between Thompson Road and Brandes Street. The project was recently approved for an advancement and was moved up to the Summer 2020 construction season. The anticipated cost of the project is $4 million, which is funded by both federal and state monies, and which represents a substantial benefit to the Town of Webster. The project includes a complete rebuild of Klebart Ave/Lake Parkway including construction of bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the road. We are excited for these improvements—especially as they will help make students walking to the Middle and High Schools safer.
MassDOT intends to advertise the project for construction in December 2019, with construction set to begin in the spring of 2020. The project is expected to be substantially completed over the summer of 2020. Prior to advertising the project for construction, the Town will be acquiring the necessary interests from the owner of each property affected by the project. These property interests are both permanent and temporary easements, and will be acquired primarily for sidewalks, signal equipment, drainage, driveway reconstruction, sloping, grading and loaming and seeding.
The Town has retained the firm of The Foster Company, of Leominster, Massachusetts, to provide appraisals of the easements. Please be aware that representatives from The Foster Company and the Town’s engineering firm, CME, are currently in the process of contacting affected property owners. In many instances, it is the Town’s expectation that the cost of the appraisal will exceed the compensation that would be awarded. The Town is responsible for the cost of acquiring the necessary property interests for the project, including any compensation paid to affected property owners. This portion of the project is not paid by federal or state funds. We respectfully request that property owners consider donating their interest in the needed easements to the Town.
We’d like to thank Ken Pizzetti for all of his hard work administering this project and advocating on the Town’s behalf with MassDOT. This project would not be happening without his dedication. Please call 508-949-3800 ext. 4000 or email town.administrator@webster-ma.gov if you have any questions.