Chief Paul Francis and the Essex Police Department would like to inform the community that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be starting a roadway resurfacing project on Route 22 in Essex beginning the morning of Monday, September 18, 2023. The paving project will take place on Western Avenue, beginning at the Hamilton Line and will continue onto Martin Street, ending just past Shepard Memorial Drive (just beyond Essex Town Hall). The first phase of the project will entail milling the road and is expected to take approximately 3 days, with traffic for the majority of that shut down to one lane. Detours will be in place. Motorists should expect significant delays and plan accordingly, seeking alternative routes if necessary.
The second phase of the project will consist of contractors raising the height of existing water, sewer and drainage access covers and will take approximately 2 days. Motorists may experience some delays during this phase of the project and should plan accordingly. The final phase, paving will take place exclusively at night (from about 8:00pm to about 5:00 am). The paving is expected to begin on the evening of Sunday, September 24, 2023 (though subject to change) and will take an estimated 2-3 days. We ask that when the paving has been done in front of resident's homes, motorists do not drive over the pavement for at least an hour. A reminder that this schedule is subject to change due to inclement weather.
