Grapevine Road Paving Project Starts Monday

Motorists used to the bumpy patch of Grapevine Road from exit 17 off Rte. 128 in Wenham to the Beverly townline can expect a smoother ride in less than two weeks.

There will be some minor delays for residents and drivers as the town undertakes a $99,000 reclamation and repaving project along that stretch of road, according to Wenham Highway Department Superintendent Bill Tyack. He added that the work should be done fairly quickly.

"The reclamation portion of the project is starting on Monday and should take about one week," said Tyack. "The following Monday and Tuesday (Sept. 20 and 21), crews will be doing the paving."

The project will extend from Toppan Lane, just south of the exit, to the Beverly line. It is being paid entirely by Chapter 90 state highway funds, according to Tyack.

On weekdays, the stretch of road will be down to one lane. Residents of the area were sent a letter about the project and they will have no problem getting to their homes and driveways, Tyack said. The weekend between the reclamation and the paving, the road surface will be down to dirt but will be passable.

Bell and Flynn of Stratham, N.H. is the contractor for the project. According to Tyack, the company will use a process of grinding and recycling the top existing asphalt to use in the 1-1/2" hot top that will be used to pave the road. The company has been recycling roads since 1963 as an alternative to road rehabilitation projects, according to its website.

"This project is similar to recent projects on Burley Street and Burnham Road," said Tyack. At this time, there are no further road reclamation projects planned in town for this year, he added.