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Residents press for action; Select Board agrees to pursue TIP-design commitment for Route 68 (Royalston Road)
Summary
Residents and the Select Board urged the town to keep Route 68 (Royalston Road) on the state TIP list and to fund interim shimming and leveling through Chapter 90 while pursuing design completion and grant opportunities.
Select Board members and several Royalston Road residents pressed for renewed action Wednesday on a long-delayed Route 68 (Royalston Road) reconstruction project, and the board agreed on two steps: send a letter of renewed commitment to state TIP administrators and include interim shimming/leveling work in the town’s Chapter 90 plan.
Jeff Bennett led the discussion, summarizing repeated delays on the town’s TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) listing for Route 68. He reported correspondence from the region indicating Route 68 was likely to be programmed in fiscal year 2029–30 unless the town demonstrates renewed commitment and a design schedule. Bennett urged a letter of commitment and a meeting with the town’s design consultant to push the 25% design toward completion.
DPW Director Robert Sosik described prior design expenditures from Chapter 90 and reported $460,819.02 had already been spent on engineering design; a balance of $69,880.98 remained set aside for Royalston Road. He said a 25%–to–100% design completion could require another roughly $400,000 and noted the town could seek Complete Streets or other grant opportunities to bridge costs. Sosik recommended short-term shimming and leveling to stabilize the roadway and reduce damage to vehicles while the town pursues full reconstruction via TIP funding.
Multiple residents spoke to the road’s condition and safety concerns, describing vehicle damage, the difficulty of emergency response and the effect on residents with disabilities. The board agreed that DPW would propose a Chapter 90 plan including shimming/leveling and that Select Board member Jeff Curry would draft a short letter signaling the town’s commitment to keep the project on the TIP list and to accelerate design work with the consultant. The board set an intent to present the letter to the regional TIP administrator and asked to have the letter ready in time for inclusion in the TIP materials by April 30.
Board members emphasized this approach aims to preserve the town’s TIP position while taking practical interim measures to improve the road surface for residents.
