$5.9M grant requested for road improvements; Traffic congestion at Shoppes cited in plan.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Chris Sinacola

MILLBURY - With another New England winter doing what it does best outside, the Board of Selectmen's meeting last evening was dominated by talk of local roads - how to clear them of ice and snow, how to improve them and how to keep them in good repair.

The board voted unanimously to support the submission of a Project Need Form to the Massachusetts Highway Department seeking a $5.9 million grant for major improvements to McCracken Road and Greenwood Street. Chairman E. Bernard Plante, a MassHighway employee, recused himself from the vote.

Town Planner Laurie Connors said the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley has produced far more traffic than engineers envisioned. Mall owner WS Development agreed to provide engineering services for the project proposal, which calls for an additional turn lane at the intersection of McCracken Road with the Route 146 bridge to alleviate congestion, a reconfiguration of the Greenwood Street/McCracken Road intersection, and realignment of McCracken Road itself. The proposal also includes installing storm drains, curbing and sidewalks along McCracken Road.

The proposal will be reviewed first by MassHighway District 3 officials, and, if it gains favorable review, will be sent to Boston for further study.

Two more immediate roadway concerns were discussed last evening.

As part of Town Manager Robert Spain's ongoing effort to promote better communication among town employees, officials and the public, Highway Department Supervisor Robert Murray gave a primer on how the town tackles a typical winter storm.

Making an enthusiastic local cable TV debut, Mr. Murray detailed how his department prioritizes its work, from pre-storm equipment checks to the initial pass on all major roadways, including the creation of a brine layer between the pavement and accumulating snow and ice.

He explained why snow removal from the downtown business district is more efficiently and cheaply done at night, and why residents are better off waiting for the second pass of the plows through their neighborhood before clearing out the ends of their driveways. He asked for the public's patience during storms, and praised his department's workers for their professionalism and expertise, including doing much of the maintenance on the town's aging snowplowing equipment themselves.

Selectmen and Mr. Spain also agreed to step up pressure on the local gas company for a curb-to-curb repaving of Millbury Avenue to eliminate hazardous...