Select Board approves change order to raise low‑lying road subgrade on Herring River restoration

The Select Board approved a contractor change order to add an additional 4 inches of gravel subbase on a stretch of low‑lying roadway within the Herring River restoration project before asphalt binder is placed. Project staff said the extra subgrade will help achieve target elevation and improve long‑term performance; the plan calls for a 2.5‑inch asphalt binder this season with a 1.5‑inch top course likely in spring and culvert work scheduled between Nov. 15 and March 15.

Board members asked whether the binder would survive winter conditions and whether it made sense to add extra inches now versus later; DPW and the project presenter said a properly compacted 2.5‑inch binder should hold up and that adding yet more binder would raise costs significantly. The board voted to approve the change order; the record notes the motion passed with two votes in favor and one refusal.