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PVPC releases Amendment 3 to FFY2026 TIP for public review after two major cost increases
Summary
At its Feb. 24 meeting the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission voted to release Amendment 3 to the federal fiscal year 2026 TIP for 21-day public comment after staff reported the cost of a 291 signage project roughly doubled and an I‑391 bridge replacement rose about $24 million.
The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission voted Feb. 24 to release Amendment 3 to the federal fiscal year 2026 Transportation Improvement Program for the required 21-day public review after staff said two projects experienced significant cost increases.
Staff told the NO that the 291 traffic-signage project rose from just under $900,000 to roughly $1.9 million, driven by changes in scope and higher unit costs for materials. Staff said the other change affects the I‑391 bridge replacement project over Route 116, where the estimated cost increased from $148.5 million to $172.7 million — about a $24 million jump — as design advanced and more precise components and contingencies were added.
The scope changes and higher estimates triggered the TIP amendment, which staff said must be posted for public comment before the projects can continue to advance toward construction. After the presentation members moved and seconded release of the amendment; a roll call vote confirmed the action.
Several municipal officials pressed staff on rising costs and the difficulty of explaining overruns to local taxpayers. “When we put in a project and then we double the scope of the project, it’s always going to leave a bad taste in my mouth,” Mayor McCabe said, expressing frustration about cost escalation and project schedule impacts at the municipal level.
Staff explained that some of the increases reflect design-stage findings and new safety reviews that were not part of early cost estimates; those findings can add required work and raise unit-cost assumptions. Staff said the amendment posting will invite public comment and that any substantive comments will be addressed at the commission’s next meeting.
The NO will accept public comments during the 21-day period; staff said a follow-up discussion and formal action will occur after the public-comment period closes.
