BOXFORD STREAM CROSSING UPGRADES

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program allows municipalities to team up with project partners like IRWA to address critical components of their MVP planning. IRWA has teamed up with The Town of Boxford to address three priority stream crossings that are important to the overall health of the Howlett Brook watershed.

This project will result in each of the three culverts at Herrick Road, Georgetown Road, and Pye Brook Lane to have a complete set of designs and permits for upgraded crossing structures. These upgraded structures will be built to withstand large flooding events that are predicted to occur more frequently under the current state climate projections.

The project will result in these three culvert upgrade projects being “shovel-ready” and can be implemented as soon as funds are available.

TIMELINE & MILESTONES

Winter 2022 - Summer 2023

All three culvert locations will be surveyed for existing conditions and wetland delineations. Geotechnical and hydrologic reports will detail the subsurface conditions and potential stream flows at all three sites, respectively. The engineering team will use these reports to begin working on designing upgraded culverts that will pose less of an artificial barrier on the stream systems.

Fall 2023-Spring 2024

The culvert designs will go through review and the project team will begin working with the permitting agencies. The agencies will provide feedback on ways to improve the project, which will then be incorporated into the final permitted designs.

PROJECT PARTNERS

Town of Boxford Department of Public Works

Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)

The Engineering Corp (TEC)