ASHBY — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Massachusetts Third District, was in town on Thursday, hearing from local officials that the $3.3 million she helped secure for a new roundabout at the intersection of Greenville Road (Route 31) and Turnpike Road was money well spent.
“I came out in 2021 to view the intersection and it was like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ I could imagine all of these accidents happening,” said Trahan, who helped secure the funds through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Town Administrator Mary Daughraty explained that the town doesn’t have the money to add funds to the annual road repair aid they receive from Chapter 90 state funds, so she thanked Trahan for securing the funding for the roundabout.
“We appreciate what we get for sure, because it we wouldn’t be able to get it done without it,” Daughraty said.
“We thought people might complain, seeing as how it’s not that old aesthetic look, but we haven’t gotten one complaint,” said Daughraty.
Of the new roundabout, Highway Superintendent Steve Nims said, “It helps a lot. That was a four-way intersection that no one would stop for.”
“Every three months there would be a crash and it would be a ‘CRASH,'” said Select Board Chairman Paul Lasorsa. “… you could count on bad accidents there. It was definitely worth the $3 million.”
“I have to say … this one was just a no-brainer really,” said Trahan. “I wish we could just do these all over the place, save a lot of lives.”
She said the infrastructure law “allowed towns like this to compete. Before, you never would have qualified,” for the funding.
“We appreciate you taking it to Washington,” said Daughraty. She also mentioned how the town is seeking funding for Department of Public Works truck, saying, “We know it’s not going to be a guarantee, but we appreciate you taking it up and putting it out there in the universe.”
She said the town has little business, so its resources are constrained, so that’s why they’ve focused not only on federal and state grants, but also working with developers such as solar developers.
“We’re trying to always look outside the box,” Daughraty said, adding that some people have spoken against inviting solar developers to town due to the small-town vibe.
“You have to be scrappy,” agreed Trahan.
“We don’t want to look like one big solar farm, but if you don’t want to pay (in taxes) it’s got to come from somewhere else, let it be the solar companies.”
“It’s a bedroom community and that’s the beauty of it,” said state Rep. Margaret Scarsdale.
Daughraty said things won’t get any easier coming up as, “We just lost our school and that’s going to be a bummer for us. We’re not going to have people moving in because this beautiful school (the former Ashby Elementary School) is empty.”
Trahan mentioned what she called “the disinvestment we did for 40-plus years” in which small towns like Ashby were not able to qualify for much in the way of federal funding. She said at times it’s been difficult working with the tight spending constraints of the Republicans in Congress, but she said the new roundabout is one example of how the government is opening up to helping rural areas more, especially through ways such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“I’m sure there will be another one in a few short years,” Trahan said.
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