By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Sunderland, MA) A survey of Sunderland’s culverts found that 4%, or about sixteen, of the town’s 412 culverts and drainage structures were in critical condition, 5% were in poor condition, 9% in fair condition, and the remainder in good condition. State owned and maintained culverts along Route 116 were not included in the study.
The top problems impacting essential drainage function that could lead to failure were blockages and condition of pipes. Six culverts were identified as needing immediate attention and/or having major issues, including one on Cross Mountain Road that is “not sized sufficiently, the runoff causes one of the only gravel roads in the town to consistently wash out.”
The region-wide drought conditions in the summer of 2022 led to lower than average flow rates, as a result “FRCOG staff was not able to observe the functioning condition of many structures during an average year of rainfall.”
The study was completed in October by the Franklin Regional Council of Government and used to create an interactive online database of the culverts in Sunderland for project planning by the town.