New England 12, June 7, 2023

By Chuck MacDonald CEG CORRESPONDENT

Interstate 95 continues to be one of the most important transportation corridors in the country, extending from south Florida to northern Maine. Transportation planners and contractors in Connecticut are shoring up a section of this vital roadway in Norwalk. The cost of the project is expected to be $104 million. The venture began in the summer of 2022

and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The goal of the job is to improve safety on this busy thoroughfare. Yonkers Contracting plans to use an innovative procedure that will save time and improve safety by executing a “bridge slide.” The contractor and its team will build the I-95 bridge over Saugatuck Avenue in Westport, then slide the enormous structure into place in late summer.

Construction Gets Rolling On $148M I-95 Improvement Project in East Lyme, Conn.

Work is officially under way to improve Interstate 95 in East Lyme, Conn., following an April 26 groundbreaking ceremony attended by state and local officials and led by Gov. Ned Lamont.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is reconfiguring Exit 74 on I-95 and replacing the bridge over Conn. Route 161. Additionally, the new ramps planned for the I-95/Conn. 161 interchange will be completely realigned to offer easier transitions on and off the highway,

which the state believes will bring a significant safety improvement to the area.

In addition, the construction project includes making major improvements on a 1.3-mi.-long stretch of the interstate by adding full length acceleration lanes and creating 12ft. shoulders. These upgrades should also help reduce the number of crashes in the area and allow traffic to move safer and more freely.

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UConn to Head Off Flooding Concerns at Mirror Lake

The University of Connecticut (UConn) in Storrs is redesigning its project to improve Mirror Lake to address flooding and stormwater runoff concerns, holding off for now on dredging efforts that the college had planned to deepen the lake by removing decades’ worth of built-up muck.

The UConn Board of Trustees earlier in May approved funding to revise the project’s design, which will entail improvements determined in consultation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

UConn Today, the university’s news service, said engineers will focus on two safety and compliance elements: improvements and/or repairs to Mirror Lake’s dam and spillway, which pose flooding hazards during heavy rain; and stormwater control and water quality improvements associated with construction of the nearby South Campus Residence Hall and related infrastructure work.

Mirror Lake is visibly shallow, murky and weedy during many periods of the year, and has accumulated several feet of organic muck and sediment from the 50 years of development nearby, both from on- and offcampus projects.

Additionally, stormwater runoff from the lake’s 165-acre Roberts Brook watershed, which includes non-UConn property, has flowed toward the lower-lying pond for nearly a century, impacting water quality and increasing Mirror Lake’s volume.

The university originally had planned to dredge the lake, as well, to help maintain its existing footprint during storm events and reduce the need to increase the height of the dam — something necessary for flood control and dam safety. However, UConn decided to reduce the scope of work amid its campuswide budget constraints.

The work is expected to begin in August 2024 once the design, permitting and construction bidding processes are complete, and to conclude all work within about a year, UConn Today noted May 5.

After 100 Years, Mirror Lake Still Has Issues

Unlike the university’s Swan Lake to the north, Mirror Lake is not a natural water body. Instead, it originally was a marshy meadow just off campus when UConn began as the Storrs Agricultural School in 1881, and later became part of the institution’s property.

By 1910, landscape architects already were proposing turning it into a humanmade lake, both as an aesthetic feature and landmark of the central campus, and to find a proper use for the otherwise swampy, insect-friendly marsh.

Around 1922, the wooden dam on the marsh’s northern side was removed, a new soil dam was created, and about four acres

were flooded to create Mirror Lake. It was fully dredged in 1946 and partially again in 1970, but sediment from stormwater runoff has continued to make it shallower. In addition, goose, gull and duck excrement, along with other pollutants, have affected the water’s quality.

Currently, UConn conducts annual maintenance programs, including cleaning and treatments, to combat algae growth. The addition of two fountains has also helped mitigate some of the algae blooms, although they are currently inoperable because their electrical connection is sourced near the adjacent fire-damaged Whitney House.

But Mirror Lake’s capacity has been so

greatly reduced by sediment, UConn Today reported, that during heavy rainfalls, water occasionally flows over the banks of the brook originating at the dam’s spillway, becoming temporarily impounded at downstream culverts.

UConn Now in Charge of Lake’s Dam

The university took over dam inspection and assessment processes in 2016 from DEEP due to changes to Connecticut dam safety regulations.

After UConn’s 2019 assessment, Mirror Lake’s dam was determined to be an even higher danger than before and was moved into a hazard class defined by DEEP in which failure would result in probable life/safety issues and likely to cause problems along Connecticut Route 195, secondary roads and other downstream impacts.

As a result, UConn now conducts regular maintenance, including temporary repairs enacted in 2020 to the dam’s spillway and surrounding area.

The planned work at Mirror Lake will likely help resolve the flooding issues, although university officials acknowledge dredging and site improvements that were planned around the pond will need to be revisited when capital budget funding allows it. 

VTrans to Replace I-91 Bridge Decks Over Canal Street

Primary construction is set to get under way in the spring and summer of 2024 to replace the Interstate 91 bridge decks across U.S. Route 5/Canal Street in Brattleboro, Vt., with preliminary work slated to begin late this year.

“There will be activities this fall but they shouldn’t have a major impact on the traveling public,” Bob Klinefelter, project manager at the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), told the Brattleboro Select Board at its meeting in mid-May.

In its description of the project, the state agency said the work will involve replacing the existing concrete bridge decks and rehabilitating the existing concrete abutments and piers.

“The existing bridge decks are in fair condition overall but are in need of replacement due to large areas of concrete spalling with exposed reinforcing steel on the fascias and multiple areas where the concrete is heavily saturated with popouts on the underside of the deck,” VTrans noted in the project fact sheet on its website.

The department said the bridge’s substructure, though, is in “satisfactory condition.”

VTrans evaluated several alternatives for rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge in an engineering study completed in September 2021. The examination assessed the proposed design criteria for the structure, right-of-way, potential impacts to rare, threatened, or endangered species, hydraulics and resource impacts.

Several alternatives were considered, including taking no action, performing deck overhang reconstruction, deck replacement, and superstructure replacement. The agency also looked at how best to maintain the corridor’s traffic during construction, including the use of an offsite detour, a temporary bridge, crossovers and phased construction.

Given the age of the structure and current conditions, though, a bridge deck replacement was deemed to be the best choice.

Temporary crossovers will be used on I91 to keep traffic moving while each bridge deck is replaced, and alternating one-way

traffic will be used on U.S. 5/Canal Street at times throughout construction, the Brattleboro Reformer reported May 23.

Bridge Deck Project to Be Done Inside of Year

The news source learned that VTrans anticipates construction of the I-91 crossovers will occur at some point this fall, and the work will be sequenced to avoid use of I-91 crossovers during holiday weekends.

Due to be replaced first will be the southbound bridge deck over a period of approximately 56 days during March through May in 2024. Later, VTrans will supervise building a new northbound bridge deck over 49 days during July through August.

Additionally, the I-91 southbound onramp for southbound U.S. 5 traffic will be shuttered while both bridge decks are being rebuilt. A temporary ramp is due to be built for southbound U.S. 5 traffic to access the southern I-91 southbound on-ramp.

Minor changes also will be made to the northbound off-ramp along with some safety

improvements on Canal Street. VTrans wants the I-91 bridge deck project to be completed before Labor Day weekend in 2024. Incentives are built into the building contract to strongly encourage meeting deadlines. 

After UConn’s 2019 assessment, Mirror Lake’s dam was determined to be an even higher danger than before and was moved into a hazard class.

VTrans evaluated several alternatives for rehabilitation or replacement of the bridge in an engineering study completed in September 2021.

State Health Lab in Providence to Begin Construction in June

Since last fall, through rain and shine, snow and sleet, a sign at the corner of Clifford and Richmond streets in Providence, R.I.’s Jewelry District has pronounced the empty grass-covered lot as the future home of a building that will one day house the state’s new health lab.

State leaders gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking at the site in October 2022 and shoveled sand brought in for the occasion.

But as of mid-May, work still had not started.

So, just when will construction start?

The Providence Journal got an answer to that question recently in an email from Josh Parker, CEO of Ancora L&G, the project’s development team. He noted that work on the lab building could start as soon as midJune, the newspaper reported May 9.

Ancora L&G, a partnership between Legal & General Capital, a United Kingdom-based investment group, and Ancora, a North Carolina real estate firm, is the building the downtown Providence project after winning a bid from the state.

The new Rhode Island State Health Lab proposed by the administration of Gov. Dan McKee would be housed in a 212,000-sq.-ft. building in the state-owned Route 195 Redevelopment District, where the state Department of Health asked for it in 2021.

State lawmakers then insisted on going through a bidding process to look at other potential locations, before settling on the same location.

The lab should be completed by the second quarter of 2025, Parker informed the Journal, while the tenants could start working in the building by the third quarter of 2025.

“We are in the process of obtaining final permits,” he wrote in the email.

New Building to Give State Lab Airtight, Modern Home

The $165 million structure also will include private laboratory space, and Providence’s Brown University has agreed to be one of the tenants, having already secured 20,000 sq. ft. of space.

Under the current plans, the state would own the 80,000-sq.-ft. State Health Lab in a condominium arrangement with Ancora L&G owning the rest of the building. Rhode Island will use an $81.7 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to pay for construction of the state’s laboratory portion of the building, which will be on the second and third floors of the seven-story structure.

Rhode Island public health officials have been clamoring to replace their run-down 1970s-era health lab on Orms Street in Providence since the onset of the COVID pandemic, saying the building is outdated and limited their ability to respond to the coronavirus.

Currently, though, the older State Health Lab is the only Level 3 biosafety facility in Rhode Island equipped to handle dangerous materials, microbes and pathogens.

Former state Health Director Nicole Alexander-Scott, who first championed a new laboratory, told the Journal last fall that the old building has a leaky roof and outdated heating, cooling and electrical systems.

Besides providing an airtight structure, the new facility also would be classified as Level 3 and have a larger “biocontainment facility” allowing researchers to do more testing and genomic sequencing to search for deadly pathogens. 

The new Rhode Island State Health Lab proposed by the administration of Gov. Dan McKee would be housed in a 212,000-sq.-ft. building in the state-owned Route 195 Redevelopment District.

Rhode Island Department of Administration rendering

Starting at Mile One: Logger Tony Nadeau’s Road to Success

A granite monument in Fort Kent, Maine, commemorates

“America’s First Mile,” the starting point of U.S. Route 1. The highway runs 2,360 mi. all the way to Key West, Fla., which is the southernmost point of the continental United States.

Fort Kent isn’t quite the northernmost point — that distinction belongs to Angle Inlet, Minn., — but it’s pretty far north, located along the Canadian border in northern Maine.

With a population of just over 4,000, the small town was a great place to grow up, according to Tony Nadeau, owner of TN Nadeau Harvesting.

“During the summer I would bike, camp, and ATV,” he said. “In the winter I’d skate, ski and snowmobile. Maine has beautiful scenery, wildlife and woods. It’s very quiet and relaxing up here.”

TN Nadeau Harvesting is working about a two-hour drive south on U.S. Route 1 near the town of Houlton, not far from the company’s local John Deere dealership, United Construction & Forestry.

“It’s a pure stand of softwood,” said Nadeau. “It’s beautiful. Really nice.”

The company runs a John Deere 853MH tracked harvester with a Waratah H425x harvesting head.

“They’re perfect together,” said Nadeau. “The combination is productive, reliable, fast and fuel efficient. It checks all my boxes. It’s everything I ever wanted.”

Nadeau also depends on the hard work of his two operators, who each work 12-hour shifts.

“They are awesome. I’m so proud of them taking this operation to the next level. It’s hard to find good operators, so I’m very fortunate.”

Mechanically Inclined

Nadeau’s father was a diesel mechanic who worked on excavators, dozers and some John Deere forestry machines, including processors and skidders.

“When I was young, I’d help him out on weekends, cleaning parts and getting tools for him,” he recalled. “I loved seeing the equipment after he fixed it. He taught me a lot. Being a mechanic was something I always wanted to do.”

At the age of 22, Nadeau began running a feller buncher for a logging contractor.

“I’ve been in the woods ever since,” he said.

Nadeau spent more time out of the machine fixing things than in it, so the company made him a full-time mechanic.

“I did that for about 15 years,” he said. “I had my own service truck and a lot of experience turning wrenches and repairing equipment out in the field, so I thought, ‘I’m going

to have a go at this myself.’”

So in 2015, Nadeau started working on his own.

Around the Clock

Today TN Nadeau Harvesting works for Irving Woodlands, a Canadian company that

manages over 3.2 million acres of forestland, including extensive holdings in Maine.

“They manage over a million acres in Maine, so they’re a big company up here,” said Nadeau.

With a firm commitment to sustainability, Irving Woodlands plans 80 years ahead to ensure healthy forests, biodiversity and bodies of water on the land it owns or manages. This generational commitment includes growing more wood than it harvests. Since 1957, the company has planted over one billion trees. In 2022, across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine, the company planted 19 million trees.

Irving Woodlands prides itself on innovation, investing in the latest best practices for sustainable forest management. To harvest wood, the company contracts with numerous independent contractors like TN Nadeau Harvesting that run the latest machines and technology.

To keep up with demand, TN Nadeau Harvesting runs its 853MH 24 hours a day, five days a week.

“It just runs, all day, every day. The machine is durable and easy to service. I’ve been a mechanic most of my life, and it is awesome to work on. Everything is very accessible.”

The H425x harvesting head is perfect for softwood and mixed-stand harvesting.

“It’s phenomenal,” said Nadeau. “It’s fast and durable. At the end of a 12-hour shift, you want to see a productive outcome, and this head really delivers.”

United Construction & Forestry helps keep the 853MH going.

“When we are working around the clock, we can’t afford to have downtime,” said Nadeau. “It’s a huge expense. The parts support and service we receive from our local dealer are critical. If we have an issue, we’re usually never down for very long.”

Using JDLink, both TN Nadeau Harvesting and the dealer can monitor the machine. Nadeau receives immediate alerts about machine issues on his phone. Remote diagnostics and programming enable United Construction & Forestry to minimize the time and cost associated with sending out a technician.

“I can call a service technician with the code, and often they can walk me through the steps of repair on the phone,” said Nadeau. “They can also remotely diagnose

The company runs a John Deere 853MH tracked harvester with a Waratah H425x harvesting head.

To keep up with demand, TN Nadeau Harvesting runs its 853MH 24 hours a day, five days a week.

TN Nadeau Harvesting Runs Its Deere 853MH ‘All Day, Every Day’

the machine. If a part is needed, I know they’ll send someone out with the right one the first time.”

JDLink sends Nadeau reminders about periodic scheduled maintenance. It also allows him to track machine location, utilization, idle time and fuel consumption on his phone.

“It helps me to see if everything is running efficiently,” he said. “Fuel cost is another big expense, so seeing that alone is worth a lot.”

By switching from his old Waratah 622B harvesting head to the new H425x, he is saving three gallons an hour, or 30 percent, on fuel using the same carrier.

“The fuel efficiency from this setup is amazing,” said Nadeau. “And I’m getting 15-percent more productivity using the same machine.”

The forestry market is looking good in Maine, but Nadeau doesn’t have plans to expand.

“It’s booming right now, but I’d like to keep my operation to one machine only,” he said. “Operators are hard to come by, so we’ve been making it work. We have a

machine and operators we can depend on. It’s been great.”

TN Nadeau Harvesting Inc. is serviced by United Construction & Forestry, Houlton, Maine.

Pine Tree State

Approximately 90 percent of Maine is forested — the highest percentage of any state. This includes 12 million acres of forestland in the less-populated northern part of Maine where TN Nadeau Harvesting of Fort Kent works. Although hardwood now covers 60 percent of Maine, pine dominates this region.

The Pine Tree State has a long history of logging. Well before becoming a state in 1820, Maine was involved in lumber trade with England. During the 17th century, high-quality white pine was harvested to supply masts for the English navy. The first sawmill in Maine was built in 1635, as the sawing of white pine became one of the state’s first industries. Today the white pine tree is Maine’s official tree, and a pine tree even appears in the middle of the state flag. 

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NADEAU from page 8

Contractor Slates Bridge Slide On I-95 for Late Summer

YONKERS from page 1

The two major concerns for the project are motorist safety and congestion.

“Our road teams will be reconstructing the center median and right shoulders along with resurfacing the main highway and ramps at interchanges 16 and 17,” said Josh Morgan, spokesperson of Connecticut Department of Transportation. “The new median will be consistent with other stretches of I-95 to provide a six-foot wide capped concrete barrier section.

“The project builders will increase shoulder widths where possible, making it safer for disabled vehicles,” Morgan added. “The workers will also replace drainage structures and set up new highway illumination. The construction team will install new guide rail and reflective markings for increased visibility of pavement in wet conditions.”

In addition to the innovative construction on the I-95 bridge over Saugatuck Avenue, the construction team will carry out repairs on bridges over Franklin Street and the Saugatuck River. For this part of the project, workers will replace expansion joints and install new standpipes on the bridges.

The contractors will be taking on other infrastructure-related tasks.

“The construction team will be expanding Hendricks Avenue Park and Ride commuter lot, will improve the stormwater quality treatment, handle utility relocation and extend the Yankee Doodle Trail,” Morgan said.

The trail runs along the Norwalk River and connects pedestrians and cyclists with North and South Norwalk. The trail had been closed for nearly three years during bridge construction. Work on the trail was just one “green” aspect of the project.

“We wanted to improve the environmental quality of this area,” Morgan said. “This included the creation of a wetland, detention basin and sedimentation pond. We will also install hydrodynamic separators to improve the quality of the flow draining into the Norwalk River. The team will remove invasive vegetation species and perform substantial landscaping throughout the I-95 project.”

In addition, workers will be planting vegetation on the riverbank to hold the earth in place during heavy rainstorms.

The work on the I-95 project will require large amounts of material, including:

• 130,000 tons of polymer-modified asphalt,

• 36,000 cu. yds. of concrete,

• 2,100 cu. yds. of concrete pavement repairs,

• 2,500 cu. yds. of rock excavation,

• 25,000 cu. yds. of earth excavation, and

• 11,000 cu. yds. of channel excavation.

The project required an American Augers Quick Tran Boring Machine to drill, then to jack a 42-in. pipe under a ramp and bridge adjacent to I-95. In addition, the team leaned heavily on a regular array of equipment including cranes, dozers, excavators and paving equipment. The heavy

equipment used was primarily company-owned Caterpillar machines.

One of the highlights of the project promises to be the bridge slide, scheduled for late summer. The newly constructed I-95 bridge over Saugatuck Avenue consists of northbound and southbound bridges. They will be built par-

allel to I-95 and moved into place after the current bridge is demolished. The slides are planned to take place on separate weekends. A steel rail system with rollers will slide into place and then jack the bridge into final position.

Fred Cardillo, senior project manager of Yonkers Contracting, described the process as the Accelerate Bridge Construction technique.

“This novel process is quite different from the traditional way of bridge construction,” he said. “The traffic is very heavy on I-95. It would cause a lot of congestion to divert traffic and squeeze it down a couple of lanes at a time while we do construction on a new bridge.”

The plan calls for traffic to be diverted onto a southbound bridge, then closed for the northbound bridge. The northbound section would then be demolished.

“The existing abutments and piers would be left intact at an elevation below the new bridge,” Cardillo said. “The new bridge would then be rolled into place then jacked onto the new abutments. Once the paving is complete, traffic would be returned to the northbound lanes.”

The demolition of the remainder of the abutments would be completed after the new bridge is in place.

This monumental effort would have immediate payoff.

“This approach would minimize the impact to I-95,” Cardillo said. “Instead of inconvenience for months, the inconvenience would last only two weekends. Of course, motorists would be informed well in advance of the procedure.”

Like most major construction projects, the I-95 project in Norwalk and Westport has battled labor shortages and supply chain constraints. Cardillo believes the payoff will be well worth it.

“The interstate should have less congestion, of course,” he said. “But also, the full shoulders will lessen the impact to traffic of crashes and disabled vehicles.”  CEG

(All photos courtesy of Connecticut Department of Transportation.)

Under the Yankee Doodle Bridge by Exit 16, crews work on the wetland outlet to the Norwalk River.

Milling work proceeds during the night.

Workers construct a retaining wall underneath the bridge at Saugatuck Avenue.

A drainage pipe for the infiltration basin system, which collects sediments and slows the flow of storm runoff, is installed prior to discharge to the Norwalk River.

Manafort Brothers Set to Lead $148M I-95 East Lyme Job

IMPROVEMENTS from page 1

Right now, Exit 74’s short on-ramps can be stressful for drivers trying to access the interstate, many of whom choose to go out of their way to reach other on-ramps to the freeway.

Statistics from CTDOT show people are right to avoid the area.

On average, 67,000 cars cross the I-95 bridge over Conn. 161/Flanders Road each day, leading to many accidents.

“Over a three-year period, we had nearly 200 crashes on I-95 and [Conn.] 161, resulting in over 50 injuries,” said Garrett Eucalitto, commissioner of the transportation agency.

State Highway to See Improvements, Get New Overpass

Along Conn. 161, the project will add sidewalks and shoulders to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety and mobility.

Because the bridge over Conn. 161 has been on a list of state bridges in “poor condition” for years, the structure is due to be

I-95eastlyme.com photo

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is reconfiguring Exit 74 on I-95 and replacing the bridge over Conn. Route 161. Additionally, the new ramps planned for the I-95/Conn. 161 interchange will be completely realigned.

replaced as well, and the vertical clearance issues will be eliminated. Included as part of the effort, CTDOT noted, is a project labor agreement, which helps train the next generation of tradespeople.

Manafort Brothers Inc., based in Plainfield, Conn., was awarded the construc-

tion contract for the I-95 East Lyme Project, valued at $148 million. Eighty percent of the project’s cost is federally funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with the remaining 20 percent coming from the state.

At the groundbreaking, Lamont told the audience in East Lyme that getting so much funding from the federal government “was transformative for a state like Connecticut that has a lot of old infrastructure.”

The road/bridge construction in eastern Connecticut is expected to be completed in 2027, according to CTDOT.

Connecticut Politicians Thrilled to See Construction Start

New Haven’s WTNH-TV reported that East Lyme area businesses are booming, and Connecticut wanted the highway upgrade to keep the economic development going. State officials and transportation committee members see this as one of many improvements made possible with funding from Washington.

“Improving access to the highway and

enhancing pedestrian and bicyclist safety is a win for East Lyme and everyone who lives and does business in the region,” Lamont added. “This area is prone to crashes, which cause traffic delays and congestion. This project is significant for the safety and mobility of all who are using our roadway infrastructure.”

“We have a strong package in front of us this year that will make sure we are taking advantage of every single opportunity that the federal funding provides,” noted state Rep. Roland Lemar. D-96th District, who also serves as Connecticut’s Transportation Committee co-chair.

The state’s senior U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, called the effort a “milestone project that [aims] to untie a major traffic knot on our busiest interstate, making great use of federal infrastructure dollars. As one who has endured this stretch of road — often caught in backups — I am looking forward to a speedier and safer ride. This federal-state partnership, which Governor Lamont has helped lead, is a national model.” 

Holyoke Veterans’ Home Receives Construction Grant

A $164 million federal grant will go toward construction of a new Holyoke Veterans’ Home in western Massachusetts, a $482.6 million project that when complete in 2028 will provide long-term care for 234 veterans.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded the sum as part of a promised $263.5 million to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services for the construction of the new facility.

Newly appointed Massachusetts Veterans’ Services Secretary Jon Santiago welcomed the VA grant through its State Home Construction Grant Program, the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton reported May 7.

“We firmly believe that our veterans in Massachusetts deserve the best possible care and support,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “By investing in the reconstruction of the Holyoke Veterans’ Home, we demonstrate our unwavering commitment to ensuring that they receive the respect and support they rightfully deserve.”

Formerly known as the Soldiers’ Home before being renamed this year, the site became a focus of controversy in 2020 after more than 70 veterans died there in one of the nation’s deadliest COVID outbreaks.

After Many Renovations, New Building On Horizon

Following its conditional award last year, the Executive Office of Veterans’ Services completed the necessary final steps to ensure compliance and receive grant funding. The

project includes 234 long-term care beds, nursing support and community spaces.

The existing 227,915-sq.-ft. building opened in 1952 off Cherry Street on the hilltop of a 16.6-acre property in Holyoke, northeast of Springfield. The facility was expanded with several additions in the 1970s.

Over its lifetime, it has seen several interior upgrades and renovations as well, the Northampton news source noted. The current facility has many triple and quadruplebed rooms and no private baths. There also is a small outpatient clinic within the building that is not part of the long-term care facility.

The new building’s 350,000-sq.-ft. design is based on the VA’s small house model and includes gardens, physical therapy facilities, a dental suite, hair salon, dining and social spaces, according to a grant application the state submitted to the VA in April 2021.

Each resident floor of the proposed new building is designed with two to three homes per level, typically with 12 beds per home, accommodating a maximum of 36 veterans per floor. Most rooms are single occupancy with private baths, but one room in each home is larger than a standard room so that it can function as a double, a couple’s room or a bariatric room. Each home also has a private den to provide residents and families with a quiet space.

In lieu of providing a separate living and dining facility for each home, one central space with multiple nodes for living, dining and activity functions is provided on each

floor. This allows for a variety of adaptable spaces to engage the veterans throughout the day with various activities.

The existing facility will remain operational while a new facility is built next to it, and once residents are moved to the new location, the old building will be demolished, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. None of the veterans currently in long-term care will be displaced by the construction of the replacement facility.

“Today’s announcement has been a long time in the making and is an important step towards making a new Holyoke Veterans’ Home a reality,” state Sen. John Velis, DWestfield, and chair of the Veterans and

Federal Affairs Committee, said in a statement. “This process started back in the spring of 2021 with the passage of the [Massachusetts] Legislature’s bond bill, and it is truly exciting to see this federal funding come to fruition.”

Facility to Welcome All Former Service Members

After the $400 million bond bill was approved, the state was able to apply for the VA construction grant program and received conditional approval last year.

The project coincides with the establishment of the new Executive Office of Veterans’ Services by the Healey-Driscoll administration in March.

“The Holyoke Veterans’ Home reconstruction project signifies the deep gratitude and respect we owe to our veterans and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to their well-being,” Santiago said in a statement.

The Veterans’ Home has entered a memorandum of agreement with the VA, committing $263.5 million in federal funds. The $164 million grant represents the first year’s funding, with the rest to be paid out in future fiscal years. The remaining $136.5 million for the project will come from the state.

Velis’ spokesperson, Gabriel AdamsKeane, said the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home changed its name to the Holyoke Veterans’ Home on March 1 to reflect that not only Army soldiers, but members of the Air Force, Navy and other branches of the military also seek out the facility’s services. 

Rendering courtesy of Mass.gov

The new building’s 350,000-sq.-ft. design is based on the VA’s small house model and includes gardens, physical therapy facilities, a dental suite, hair salon, dining and social spaces, according to a grant application the state submitted to the VA in April 2021.

Project to Reduce Congestion, Lesson Impact of Accidents

Yonkers Contracting crews pour concrete for a light pole foundation.

Yonkers Contracting crews begin placing forms at abutment #1.