A section of Route 8 is being repaired after several years of sinking.
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Hopefully, a section of River Road will no longer have that sinking feeling.
The state Department of Transportation this week began a full reconstruction of a problem area between the Red Mill Spring and the north end of Hayden Hill.
James Moulton, superintendent of the project, said work to stabilize the roadway will include excavating both lanes of Route 8, laying down a heavy-duty landscaping fabric, topping it with gravel and then paving.
He estimated the total time for the project would be about two weeks.
The far edge of the southbound lane for a couple hundred feet along the North Branch of the Hoosic River has been sinking since a major rainstorm in 2010. A patch repair was done last fall after the pavement sunk several inches and a granite catch-basin cover nearly upended.
Moulton said the problem was a broken pipe under the state highway from a catch basin on the east side.
"That was undermining the road," he said, adding the project was fast-tracked because it was safety issue, particularly with the uneven pavement. "It was just a major hazard."
The southbound lane is currently being excavated; once done, the focus will switch to the northbound lane.
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A section of Route 8 is being repaired after several years of sinking.
