Barrows Road could get wider

The project would include a full-depth reclamation of the road — using crushed gravel to improve the road’s base and its draining capabilities — and would widen the road to 26 feet. Currently, the 1.8-mile road ranges from 22 to 24 feet in width.

“It seemed like a modest additional cost to increase the safety of pedestrians,” said Lackey, himself a cycling enthusiast.

He said the budget is still a draft in progress. The next board meeting on Monday, Jan. 27, will allot time for residents to weigh in on the proposed figures before the board adopts the budget and warns it for Town Meeting. Said Lackey, “The public hearing about the budget (Jan. 27) is a good time for people to come in and ask questions.”

This paper reported last week the select board was leaning toward a different option for Barrows Road, at roughly $553,000, which would have included full reclamation but kept the existing width. The board in fact opted to support the $609,056 option.

Yet another option, at roughly $420,000, would have done a full reclamation on half the road, with the other half overlaid.

If the more comprehensive option is included in the final Town Meeting budget, it will be paid for with $400,000 from the FY 2015 paving budget and roughly $210,000 from the current year’s paving budget.

A popular shortcut between Mountain Road and Route 100 south of town, Barrows Road sees an average of 3,000 vehicles a day, according to Stowe Public Works Director Harry Shepard. Stowe High School is also located on Barrows Road.

The road is part of the popular Tour de Stowe bicycle loop, an 8- to 10-mile circuit that also entails Stowe Hollow and Mayo Farm roads.

Jeffrey Maher, principal of Stowe High School, said there have been “no problems from my perspective” with regard to student safety. He said he trusts town crews will mitigate any impact to the school during the paving.

“They’ve always been good about communication with us as far as scheduled construction,” Maher said.