Our distribution network contractor, TriWire, has completed the Chickly River crossing in FSA 02! There remains one more Deerfield River crossing at Shunpike in FSA 02, expected to be completed this month.
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Category: Tower Road
Information about Charlemont Connect activities related to the Tower Road railroad crossing.
TriWire’s been working on the railroad, all the live long day on Friday. Conduit is now in place over the tracks at the Long Bridge railroad crossing and the Tower Rd. railroad crossing! Completing these public way crossings is a project milestone worth celebrating.
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Niles Tree Service has completed the tree trimming needed to wrap up the make-ready path preparation on the west end of Tower Rd! Working with our partners, Westfield Gas & Electric, Charlemont has set new utility poles to provide a fiber path that avoids a costly railroad crossing.
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Charlemont Municipal Fiber Network
Select Board Status Report
November 1, 2020
Summary
Verizon has now approved 14 licenses (out of 17), with just a few poles left on the other applications. This remains the main schedule driver. We will start the construction of the distribution network as soon as possible; our conservative estimate is April 1, 2021. We have completed all path preparation projects except Warner Hill Road, which should be complete in November. Construction of the network equipment room is complete; electronics could start being installed later this year. The project remains on budget. The first tranche of town borrowing for $500,000 is expected to close on November 10, 2020.
Charlemont Municipal Fiber Network
Selectboard Status Report
August 30, 2020
Summary
Verizon has approved two licenses (out of 17) but the estimated final completion date is still December 31, 2020. This is the main schedule driver. Based on this date, we anticipate starting construction of the distribution network in April, 2021. We are working to complete several “path preparation” projects: Heath Stage Terrace is complete. National Grid was granted approval to install new utility poles along Hawk Hill Road, eliminating the need for the town to install underground conduit there. The new utility poles have been installed along Tower Road; tree trimming is being scheduled. Design adjustments on Warner Hill require a pole hearing which is scheduled for September 8. Construction of the network equipment room is complete; electronics could start being installed later this year. So far, the project remains on budget. We are anticipating the first tranche of town borrowing in September, 2020.
Comments closedEight town-owned utility poles have been installed along the west end of Tower Road! Working through an inter-governmental agreement with Westfield Gas and Electric, these poles will be used to connect to existing utility lines and avoid an expensive railroad crossing!
Comments closedMake ready work will begin on the Tower Rd. railroad crossing portion of the distribution network this summer under an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Westfield Gas & Electric (WG&E). The crossing, approved by Pan Am railroad last fall, is expected to be completed this summer.
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Charlemont is proceeding with four path preparation projects this summer to handle special situations where aerial utility lines do not currently exist.
Comments closedBecause of the high annual cost of leasing aerial space spanning active railroad tracks, Charlemont is redesigning the crossing at the west end of Tower Road to cross at a public way. As part of this rerouting, we have applied to install eight new town-owned utility poles for the fiber along a section on the west end of Tower Road. This will result in substantial long-term savings for the town.
Comments closedCharlemont is modifying some small portions of the distribution network design to avoid some expensive railroad track crossings to make it cheaper to operate the fiber network.
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