At the Board of Selectmen’s August 18 meeting, Public Works Director Fred Hurley noted there has not been a drainage survey since the 1970s and it’s “time for a new survey.”

Hurley stated this as part of a road work discussion where Hurley and Town Engineer John Curtis discussed problems still stemming from last August’s flooding, chip sealing vs “micro-paving,” and needed bridge work on Stony Brook Road, Brushy Hill Road, and the Bailey Bridge on Jacklin Road.

Hurley noted that old drainage surveys on Stony Brook indicated that a culvert of 60 inches to 72 inches would be adequate to handle drainage.

“It was not adequate,” said Hurley.

Additionally, Curtis noted that storm channels have eroded and widened, and vegetation that once helped keep water flow in check is now gone.

The town tries to handle drainage issues in house, as contracting that work out is “much more expensive” and limits the amount of roadwork that can get done by using up more of the town’s total funding.

For bridges, the Stony Brook bridge is the top priority, then Brushy Hill. Hurley noted residents on Jacklin Road are still able to access their road. While Stony Brook could be worked on next spring, Hurley said both it and the Brushy Hill Road bridge may be done next summer. The town has funding for both through FEMA reimbursements following the August flood storm, as well as state resources.

“We’re in a good position financially,” said Hurley.

The Department of Public Works has received some complaints about its chip sealing work, particularly about loose stone kicked up while driving over the surface.

“That results from people driving over it too fast,” said Hurley. “If they drive at a reasonable speed, they don’t have the same problem.”

However, the town has been looking at micro-paving instead of chip sealing, even though it is more costly.

Micro-paving, also known as “microsurfacing,” is a pavement preservation technique that involves applying a thin layer of asphalt emulsion, fine aggregate, and other additives to the surface of an existing road. It’s a way to improve the condition of aging or damaged asphalt pavements, extending their lifespan and enhancing performance.

Hurley noted that the state recently did micro-paving work on Berkshire Road (Route 34) and chip sealing on Sugar Street (Route 302), and “everyone is looking to see how they both hold up.”

Choosing between things like chip sealing, micro-paving, reclamation, and paving is “a balance” aimed at keeping costs down while maximizing the amount of road mileage that is repaired, according to Hurley.

“If you keep it balanced and handle the most grievous problems, we look at the cost benefits and try to fit it into a package that still gets as many miles of road as possible done,” said Hurley.

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Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.