New Hartford votes Tuesday on road work

NEW HARTFORD — The New Hartford Board of Selectmen will hold a special town meeting Tuesday, Jan. 26, to allow residents to vote to approve the funding needed to move forward on the proposed West Hill Road repaving project.

The meeting, which was set at the selectmen’s meeting Jan. 12, begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center/Meeting Room at Town Hall.

Town officials are asking residents to approve an appropriation not to exceed $164,986 for the resurfacing, which will be carried out by the state Department of Transportation.

The project involves general pavement repairs as well as an application of a microsurface overlay on a portion of West Hill Road that runs westerly from its intersection with Stub Hollow Road.

A microsurface overlay is a special application of asphalt that not only corrects flaws and strengthens a street, but also provides a skid-resistant surface.

The West Hill project includes resurfacing 6,000 feet of roadway.

While the town is required to initially put forward a portion of the funding for the repavement, the final price tag for the project will be reimbursed by the Federal Highway Administration through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

If the appropriation is approved by voters next week, First Selectmen Dan Jerram will then enter into an agreement with the state for the “construction, inspection and maintenance� of West Hill’s overlay.

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