Lakeville selectmen hear Route 79 design update as costs, right-of-way needs grow

The Lakeville Board of Selectmen met with consultants from Beta Group on Monday to review the Route 79 reconstruction project, hear where the design stands with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and discuss rising cost and right-of-way implications.

Matt Shute, project manager for Beta Group, said the 25% design “has been completed and submitted to MassDOT. Just today, we responded to all the comments that we received from MassDOT on the project,” and that MassDOT will schedule a resolution meeting to go over outstanding comments before a public design hearing.

The update matters because the project’s estimated construction funding on the draft Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) has grown to about $9.3 million, compared with roughly $4.5 million when the work was first programmed. Bill McGrath, a senior associate with Beta Group, said changes in MassDOT policy and design standards — including a push to provide continuous sidewalks and wider bicycle shoulders — account for much of the increased cost and added drainage infrastructure.

McGrath described the MassDOT design process the town is in: after the 25% submission comes…