Utility Pole Removal Begins in Downtown Madison

August 9, 2023 - The Town of Madison is pleased to announce that the construction work relating to the removal of the overhead wires and utility poles for selected properties on the south side of Boston Post Road downtown has begun and is expected to continue over the next few days. The removal of the utility poles is an important phase of the long-running Madison Center Project (MCP), a decades long community improvement project designed to enhance the streetscape of Madison’s downtown central business district. 

According to Madison’s First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons, “After decades of delays, I am excited to say we are finally in the process of removing the utility poles from Madison’s beautiful downtown center. And I am especially grateful we are able to get this accomplished with minimal disruptions to our local businesses and main street visitors. When I entered office four years ago, there were three outstanding easements that prohibited the completion of the utility work, and no funding was budgeted to finish the project. Now, after working cooperatively with local property owners, Eversource, Town Boards, and our Public Works Department, we have been able to get this project closer than ever to the finish line. I want to thank the many current and former elected officials, planning committee volunteers, Town staff, Eversource personnel, and property owners for their vision and commitment to completion of this project.“ 

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Earlier this year the Town awarded a construction contract to A&S Electrical Services, Inc. to complete property specific electrical work and then coordinate with Eversource the transition of electrical service from the poles to underground conduit.  The conversion has now been completed for all properties on the south side of Boston Post Road, enabling Eversource to start removing associated overhead wires and poles. While the Town stands ready to move forward on completing removal on the north side, it has been hampered by limited availability due to supply chain constraints of selected electrical equipment specified by Eversource at individual properties. The Town is closely working with Eversource to find alternative designs to address the equipment shortage and expedite the completion of the project. 

“Whether it be budget constraints, easement disputes or equipment shortages, I have shared in our community’s frustration over the recurring delays that have spanned many years. However, I believe the positive long-term benefits to our downtown will ultimately outweigh the challenges we faced, allowing Madison residents, business owners and visitors alike to enjoy a more beautiful streetscape for decades to come,” added Lyons.

The Madison Center Project is a multi-phase project that seeks to expand economic opportunities within Madison’s central business district, improve pedestrian safety and access, facilitate access to public transit, and enhance the charm and aesthetics of the Town’s downtown area. Following on the completion of the utility project, the Town intends to move forward with plans to extend streetscape enhancements to Route 79 and further additional traffic, pedestrian, and bicycle safety improvements. In the fall of 2022, the Town was awarded two state grants totally $1.3 million to assist in funding this next stage of the project.

Please contact First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons with any additional questions on the project.