A.
No street or way through private property shall be
accepted by the Town unless the same be previously constructed and
completed in accordance with the standard cross section (See Appendix
N)[1] and the approved street layout plan, profile and these
specifications.
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix N is on file in the
Town offices.
B.
Unless otherwise specified, all the work and the materials
used in the work to be done shall conform to the requirements of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Department of Public Works,[2] Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges, hereinafter
referred to as the "standard specifications," as amended and the special
provisions included below.
[2]
Editor's Note: Now the Department of Transportation.
C.
References in the following specifications, unless
otherwise stated, are to the aforesaid Standard Specifications. In
case of conflict between these specifications or special provisions
and the aforesaid standard specifications, amendments or addenda,
these specifications and special provisions shall take precedence
and shall govern.
D.
To facilitate reference, some paragraphs in these
specifications show the paragraph numbers of the applicable sections
of the standard specifications.
E.
COMMONWEALTH
DEPARTMENT
ENGINEER
Wherever in the standard specifications or other contractual
documents, the following terms or pronouns in place of them, are used,
the intent and meaning shall be interpreted by substitution as follows:
The Town of Southborough.
Highway Superintendent, Town of Southborough.
The Highway Superintendent of the Town of Southborough, acting
directly or through an authorized representative, such representative
acting within the scope of the particular duties entrusted to him.
F.
The extent of work required shall be shown upon approved
plans, and shall be in compliance with the standard cross section.
Stakes shall be set which will indicate the exact amount of cut or
fill.
G.
As each construction operation is completed, it shall
be approved by the proper Town authority prior to starting work on
the succeeding operation.
A.
Clearing. The entire area to be paved in each street
or sidewalk shall be cleared of all stumps, brush, roots, boulders,
loam, peat, mulch, quicksand and other spongy or undesirable material
to whatever depth it occurs. All spongy, organic or unstable material
shall also be removed at the sides of the roadbed to the point where
slopes of three feet horizontal to two feet vertical from the edges
of pavement intersect hard bottom, so as to ensure lateral support
of the roadway. No rocks over three inches in diameter shall be retained
or placed within 18 inches of the street surface. This work shall
be inspected and approved as hereinafter described, before continuation
of the project. (Standard Specifications 101)
B.
Rough grading. The entire length and width of the
vehicular roadway shall be brought to a firm subgrade 15 inches below
the finished grade, and the entire length and width of all required
sidewalks shall be brought to a firm subgrade nine inches below the
finished grade. All fill or ordinary borrow for the subgrade shall
consist of firm bearing material acceptable to the Superintendent
of Highways and shall contain no loam or organic matter. This work
shall be inspected and approved, as hereinafter described, before
continuation of the project. (Standard Specifications 170 and 101)
C.
Fill. When in the opinion of the Engineer suitable
material is not available within the limits of the highway location
to form the subgrade or subbase, the contractor shall obtain such
additional material from other sources in accordance with this section
and as may be approved by the Highway Superintendent. (Standard Specifications
150)
D.
Utilities.
(1)
All drain, sewer, gas and water pipes, underground
utilities and other structures shall be installed upon the completion
of roadway subgrade and before the placing of the subbase, gravel
base course, sidewalks or pavement. (Standard Specifications 200)
(2)
All subsurface utility piping shall be installed to
true grade on firm bed free of rocks, soft or unstable material, and
shall be backfilled, puddled and tamped only upon inspection and approval
of installation in the open trench. Water pipes shall be flushed,
chlorinated and tested prior to connection to Town system. No connection
will be permitted if evidence of leakage, excessive infiltration or
contamination exists. All water main construction shall conform to
all specifications of the Town of Southborough's Water Commissioners.
E.
Finish grading and paving. All subgrades of vehicular
roadways shall be covered with well-compacted gravel to within 3 1/2
inches below the finish grade shown on the approved profile with a
transverse pitch from the center line down toward the edges of roadway
of 3/8 inches per foot. Bituminous concrete pavement shall be applied
in two courses [three in arterial streets] as specified in Table 4.2.2.
Bituminous concrete shall be Type I-1 or equivalent, as specified
in the Standard Specifications for Highways, Bridges and Waterways
of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Works.[1] The concrete shall be installed to the approved finish
grade and compacted by means of a roller with a pressure of not less
than 240 pounds per square inch. Where paved bituminous berms are
required, paved surface shall extend 12 inches beyond the edge of
roadway with a 3/8 inch minimum pitch toward the gutter, as shown
on the standard street cross section.
[1]
Editor's Note: Now the Department of Transportation.
F.
Roadside grading. Embankments outside the right-of-way
shall be evenly graded and pitched at a slope of not greater than
two horizontal to one vertical in fill. Where cuts are made in ledge,
other slopes may be determined with the approval of the Board. Whenever
embankments are built in such a way as to require approval by the
Planning Board, the developer must furnish to the Town duly recorded
access easements free of encumbrances for maintenance of the slopes,
terraces or retaining walls. All such slopes shall be grassed in accordance
with the specifications for the area between the roadway and sidewalk
or roadway and boundary of the right-of-way. (Standard Specifications
685)
A.
Sidewalks shall be constructed within the subdivision
and, when the Board determines it is necessary, outside the subdivision
to connect to the existing sidewalks. The sidewalks shall be constructed
in accordance with the standard street cross section as shown on the
approved plans for the full length of the street layout on one or
both sides, as required by the Board, except that in turnarounds the
sidewalk shall terminate at the last driveway entrance.
B.
The sidewalks shall be constructed of Type I-1 bituminous
concrete in two courses one and 1 1/2 inches thick each on a
base of six inches of well-compacted gravel to the required grade.
Where driveways cross paved sidewalks, the elevation of driveway shall
conform to the elevation and grade of the paved sidewalk and slope
down to meet the gutter grade at the roadway for unobstructed drainage.
C.
Bituminous wheelchair ramps between the sidewalk and
the roadway shall be required at intersections next to the corner
rounding curb on major residential and all commercial collector streets.
Under unusual circumstance the Board may specify a location for a
pedestrian walk or path other than adjacent to the street right-of-way
where necessary to preserve a valuable historical or environmental
asset or to facilitate an easier and more direct pedestrian access.
(Standard Specifications 700)
A.
Straight or radial granite curbing. Type VO or VB
(see Standard Specifications) with a seven-inch initial reveal of
exposed face above gutter shall be installed at street corner roundings
and roadway curves as specified in the Table located at the end of
these regulations, at all catch basin curb inlets, and where the roadway
grade exceeds 6%, as specified in said Table.
B.
Rolled bituminous curbing or Cape Cod berm shall be
installed where required to minimize erosion and damage to grass plots:
see the table located at the end of these regulations. Bituminous
curbing shall extend 12 inches beyond the roadway and shall slope
down toward the gutter three inches in 12 inches. Other cross-sectional
shapes may be authorized by the Board or the Superintendent of Highways.
The entire area between the gutter or curb and
the side line of street right-of-way on each side not occupied by
a sidewalk shall be graded to within six inches of the finished grade,
shall have six-inch depth of well-compacted loam installed, graded
to slope down not less than 3/8 inch per foot toward the gutter or
curb, and shall be seeded with a high-quality grass seed. The area
shall be maintained and reseeded if necessary. Utility and light poles
shall be placed in the grass plot, centered three feet away from the
gutter or curb face, except that no poles shall be located less than
30 feet from the intersection of tangents of street side lines at
corner roundings.
A.
Unpaved areas within the right-of-way which have been
stripped by construction shall be graded to meet the adjoining property
with a slope of not more than one-foot vertical to two feet horizontal.
These areas shall be covered with at least six inches of good quality
topsoil and thickly seeded with perennial grasses or other planting
materials approved by the Board.
B.
Suitable existing trees within the right-of-way approved
by the Tree Warden, if larger than four inches caliper and located
outside the shoulders, shall be preserved. Trees to be retained shall
not have grade changes over their root areas more than 12 inches.
Where suitable trees do not exist at intervals of less than 40 feet
on each side of the street, they shall be provided by the developer.
C.
Trees to be planted shall be well-branched, nursery-grown
stock at least two inches trunk diameter at four feet above ground,
and shall be free of injury, harmful insects and diseases. Trees shall
be planted in 1/2 cubic yards of loam, guy wired and wrapped as necessary
for protection. They shall be long-lived species adapted to the local
environment and approved by the Tree Warden.
D.
If any tree dies or has to be removed due to construction,
it shall be replaced, so that at least three shade trees per lot are
provided at the time of release of the performance guaranty or covenant.
Coincident with the beginning of construction
of any subdivision street, street name signs shall be erected at the
entrances thereto from existing streets using dark letters four inches
tall on white background and with the bottom of the sign at least
eight feet above ground. Such signs shall be replaced by permanent
street name signs of a type generally in use in Southborough before
release of performance guaranty is requested.
Granite bounds or reinforced concrete at least
three feet long and six inches square in cross section shall be set
under the supervision of a registered land surveyor with the top flush
with the ground and with a drill hole or lead plug denoting the point
at intersection of subdivision boundaries with the right-of-way lines
of existing and new streets and at all angle points and points of
curvature or tangency in subdivision street right-of-way lines. Reinforced
concrete bounds shall be required by the Planning Board at the corner
points of the boundaries of the subdivision and at corners and the
changes in direction of the boundaries of each lot.
A.
Temporary turnarounds. If a subdivision street is
constructed in stages and temporarily does not extend to another street
or end in a permanent turnaround, a temporary turnaround of a design
acceptable to the Board and capable of accommodating a vehicle of
50 feet turning radius shall be installed at the end of the constructed
portion of street. Parts of such temporary turnaround located outside
the street right-of-way need not have bituminous pavement, but shall
have well-compacted waterbound macadam suitable for all weather use.
Public travel easements in such temporary turnarounds shall lapse
when the street is constructed to another street or turnaround.
B.
Retaining walls. Field masonry retaining walls shall
be constructed at street right-of-way line whenever the slope of land
adjacent to the street would be too steep for the stability of soil
[generally in excess of one-foot vertical to two feet horizontal]
or would require grading for more than 30 feet back to meet the existing
grade at a slope of one-to-two. Retaining walls shall be bound with
cement concrete, be designed according to good engineering practice
and provided with drainage weep holes as may be necessary.
C.
Guardrails. At the termination of street pavement
at a subdivision boundary or at a lot line or where the land adjacent
to street right-of-way falls off steeper than one-foot vertical in
three feet horizontally, four-foot-high wooden guardrails of a design
acceptable to the Board and the Superintendent of Highways shall be
required.
D.
Culverts. Culverts under streets may be of reinforced
concrete, corrugated aluminum, or other suitable material and may
be round, elliptical or rectangular in cross section. Culverts of
18 inches or greater inside diameter shall be provided with gratings
at both ends for safety. Culverts of 24 inches or greater inside diameter
shall normally require wing-walls at exits to prevent erosion or weakening
of embankments. If the top of a culvert is within 30 inches of street
surface, a concrete saddle may be required to reduce the danger of
crushing. The design of culverts and of approaches and downstream
channels shall adhere to good engineering practice and may include
provisions to minimize damage from flooding.
