Some residents living along Lincoln Avenue and a few other roads in Barrington say they were surprised when dump trucks and asphalt spreaders appeared in front of their homes earlier this week.

The residents who contacted the Times said they did not object to the work, but would have appreciated some advance notice before the construction vehicles arrived.

"I have been checking with my neighbors. None of us were notified in advance of the project," wrote one resident impacted by the project. "One person said that a construction worker told her that we all should have received a letter notifying us in advance of the project. I never got a letter, and so far, I don't know of any one who has."

During its late July meeting, the Barrington Town Council approved a bid from J.H. Lynch for $1.516 million to repave nearly 20 roads in town, including portions of Lincoln Avenue and Upland Way. The Barrington Times published an article about the road work in its Aug. 9 edition, but there has been no specific timeline detailing where crews would be working from one day to the next.

An official from the Barrington Department of Public Works said on Thursday, Oct. 5, that various factors, including weather conditions, impact where crews work each day. 

Meanwhile, some residents are also upset that the construction of new sidewalks were not included with the repaving project. 

"That's a serious oversight — so many middle- and high-schoolers walk and bike along there (Lincoln Avenue)," wrote one resident. "The sidewalks really should be wider and better-defined than they are!"

"I live between BMS and BHS on Lincoln," wrote another resident. "We have a ton of foot and bike traffic in front of my house twice a day — lots of kids hustling to and from school. The 'sidewalks' consisted of asphalt flush with the road and a white painted line de-marking the street vs. the road. There is no curb and no shoulder, just sidewalk flush to street. 

"I am always concerned that a pedestrian could easily be hit should a driver veer slightly off the road. I figured that the next time they pave the road, I would pipe up about the safety concerns. But now, I fear that it's too late." 

According to a memo from the DPW, the work by JH Lynch was to include repairs to asphalt sidewalks where they had been damaged. 

"It just seems to me that if you are going to redo the sidewalks near the town's two major schools, the sidewalks should be made with safety in mind," wrote a resident. "Retail stores on Maple Avenue will enjoy proper curbs and sidewalks, but the kids who walk to our town's two secondary schools won't." 

Also included in the road resurfacing work was a new bus and emergency vehicle access road at the high school. The road runs from Federal Road just east of the varsity softball field, to the edge of the Barrington High School parking lot.