PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The MPO isn't quite sure how to use up $2.5 million for road projects.

 

The money was planned to be used for a renovation of the intersections near Berkshire Medical Center. However, the state Department of Transportation and city officials say there is no chance the design will be ready in time for 2017. That delays the project to at least 2018 and leaves $2.5 million left to be programmed.

 

"We don't have 25 percent, we don't have the public hearing. It is a complicated project with right of ways," Mark Moore, of MassDOT District 1, said. 

 

He said he has little confidence that the consultants the city is using to design the project will be able to deliver the plans on time. He added the same consultants are at least a year behind on other projects in the city of Pittsfield.

 

"We've got no confidence that they can deliver this project," Moore said.

 

The local Metropolitan Planning Organization prioritizes eligible projects for federal funds for MassDOT for the yearly allocations. While there are a large number of projects waiting in line for funds, none of them are at a design point to use the 2017 money caused by the delay.

 

"We don't have anything right now to fill this hole." MassDOT Director of Strategic Planning Steve Woeffe said.

 

Moore said there is a project on Route 8 in Clarksburg that may be ready in time. The MPO plugged it into the transportation plan but that plan hasn't been adopted. BRPC Executive Director Nathaniel Karns added that the Mohawk Bike Trail project could be short on funds and could help fill the gap as well.

 

The Transportation Advisory Council previously voted to leave those funds to the side for now and to wait to see which projects could become ready. But the MPO said that is just kicking the can down the road.

 

"None of these projects are ready, so what you are saying is we always find something, but we are not finding something now or else we would program it," said MPO member Jim Lovejoy.

 

Woeffe said he'd rather have the city push to get the BMC project ready or have MassDOT work on another design and then make a determination.

 

"I don't want to sit and lose a month when everyone can look to see what they can do," he said.

 

In other business, MassDOT will be holding a public hearing on Thursday, May 5, at City Hall for the state capital improvement plan. The early step in that process started off with an unhappy crowd because instead of a traditional hearing, MassDOT took comments individually on the plan.

 

"This is going to be more of a traditional [hearing]. We will have more of an open house and then a presentation," Woeffe said.

 

He said the format to get comments written through the website worked well elsewhere in the state. Woeffe thinks the process may not have been presented very well at the hearing in Pittsfield.