State and local officials gathered on Friday for a ceremonial groundbreaking marking the official start of a $1 million highway project designed to spur commercial growth in Norwood’s largest industrial sector. Spearheaded by Town Manager John J. Carroll, the infrastructure initiative extends University Avenue to open up prime industrially zoned land, moving toward a long-term vision originally conceived back in 1966.
Two-Phase Highway Plan and Funding
The newly initiated project is divided into two distinct phases:
- Phase I: Estimated at $1 million and contracted to the John Mahoney Construction Co. of Milton, this phase runs 3,850 feet west from the Canton project line to a dead-end just short of American Drive. It consists of two 12-foot travel lanes and is scheduled for completion by next June.
- Phase II: Envisions connecting University Avenue directly to American Drive, alongside geometric and safety improvements to American Drive, Everett Street, and its intersection with Route 1. Town officials estimate this second phase is at least two years away from breaking ground.
Funding for the project is anchored by the federal Urban Systems program, covering 75 percent of the cost, while state funds pick up the remaining 25 percent. According to Town Manager Carroll, the town had originally saved $300,000 in state aid anticipating the road’s construction; when federal and state funding was secured last year, those reserved municipal funds were reallocated to repair other local roadways.
Local Dignitaries and State Officials in Attendance
Roughly 15 local and state figures participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, celebrating a project that state Department of Public Works Commissioner Sandino J. Tersigni noted was “a long time in coming.” State Highway Engineer Joseph Cronin—who oversaw five years of detailed planning, including environmental studies to protect local water wells—hailed the initiative as a valuable future bypass.
Local officials attending the event included Town Manager John J. Carroll (a former state DPW superintendent); Selectmen Walter J. Dempsey and Joseph F. Curran; Department of Public Works Superintendent Paul E. Wollenhaupt; Police Chief George J. DiBlasi; Fire Chief Thomas J. Barry Jr.; Finance Commission member Thomas DiFrancia; and Board of Assessors Chairman James J. Drummey.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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