Time for the regular “add your own” observation column. What’s going on around Brattleboro this spring?
- Renaissance Jewelry is having a big sale and seemingly going out of business after quite a while on Main Street.
- Rt 30 work is starting up again – some new guardrails installed near the edge of town. The bigger observation is that flaggers are going to become a job of the past, replaced by robotics. There are new flagging machines with a combination of cameras, radios, lights, and barricades that can do the job without any pesky humans in the way. (Flaggers join toll booth collectors as obsolete jobs.)
Late March
The guardrails on RT 30 are being removed, then put back in, just a couple of feet closer to the West River.
Retreat Meadows ice is melting.
Brattleboro now has three retail cannabis stores.
Rt 30
Just wait until they turn it into a gravel road. 🙂 They should put new pavement down after that.
Gary
Motorcycles use caution!
The milling is underway on Rt 30. They’ve made it from the edge of Brattleboro past the I-91 bridge and are rapidly approaching the Humane Society.
I love that machine that peels off the old pavement like butter and spits it into dump trucks.
Mud Season
Restaurant Hazel is gone – replaced with Martocci (?)
It’s one of the few times that the roads leading into town are worse than the ones in town. : ) RT 30 is a pothole -laden mud rut from the edge of town to beyond the Humane Society. Milling has reached the hills of Newfane. Moving the guardrail over a foot or so is just about done. One workman told me a smooth hard layer will return again by August, and that they plan to be done by October.
Rt 30
I will guess the guard rail work is more about putting it at the right height for the finished road. Reclaiming the last of the pavement into the sub grade should end up with the road a couple inches higher. Then guard rail needs to be a little higher. Also replacing damaged posts, etc.
Rt 30
The Rt 30 dirt path has now reached Stickney Brook or so. Fun to drive on at 15-20 mph or so… like ye olden days.
Seems like Upper Dummerston Rd and East West are getting extra traffic as people strategize to avoid as best they can.
Milling is done to the end*. Guardrails seem to be done being moved, and yes, they look about 6-8 inches higher based on the visible soil line of the reused posts.
*Rock blasting north of the old ski area seems a bit behind schedule. No milling there yet.
Rt 30
Thank you for the updates. I like keeping track of construction projects but have little interest in driving up and down rough dirt roads, then washing the car. So I am staying away.
BBQ
Top of the Hill is closed/for sale.
June 1 - late spring noticing
Rt 30 has a thin layer of spray on road (I jest, but it is light coat of something) from Brattleboro to about the Humane Society, then it is dirt until about Stickney Brook, then grooved until the rock work at the bend after the bridge. The uglification of the rock work is basically complete – they pulled up the concrete barriers and will likely start scarification of this section soon. After that, it is scarified until the end near Newfane.
Construction work has begun at the Humane Society on their new building. : )
Geo. Brook Florist is closed and empty.
Duo is now Spork. Just kidding… it is called Tine.
Rt 30
Rode my bicycle from Cedar St to start of Upper Dummerston yesterday. I think they sealed with Calcium chloride. Looks all graded and ready for first course of pavement. Not sure when that will start but I would think fairly soon. They will probably wait until they have a longer stretch all prepared.
Gary
Lotus Graphics
Lotus Graphics is closed. Their website states: After 33 years, we have closed our walk-in store. We will continue to provide all of the same printing, design,
banners & signs, retail and tradeshow displays, as well as Trophies & Awards, and Engraving services .
Sad
They were always great to deal with and that store was a favorite haunt of Joe Crompton, making his pocket posters. Very sad news.
Amen to that
Yes, they were wonderful to deal with, and for those of us who have need for self-copying (just folks, not businesses) beyond the occasional document, they’ll be sorely missed!
Are they really gone?
I want more info on the “we’ll continue to provide services…” part of the statement.
more
The RT 30 milling is completed, now that the rock work at the bend is done.
Rt 9 is nice and smooth in West B. It’s currently the area’s best road. : )
Cannabis dispensary coming to former location of Rick’s Tavern.
Putney Rd. Dunkin’ Donuts getting an overhaul. By the look of some of the machines they’ve pulled out, it needed it! That stretch is land of abandoned fast food places – pizza hut, friendly’s, DD.
West B is also abandoned food places – that west end sandwich/food market seems to be closed, Chelsea Royal…
RT 30 Paving!
Paving has begun at the Brattleboro end of the road work.
End of spring
Speed bumps at the Municipal Center. : ( “Making town government just slightly less enjoyable!”
NECCA has their circus tent up out front. Always great to see.
Humane Society construction on new facility well underway… there is excavating and earth moving going on.
M&T Bank closings
Read that M&T Bank is closing Main St branches in both Bennington and Brattleboro