South County Overnight Road Work

WEST STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing that crews will be performing nighttime paving, traffic marking, guardrail, and bridge repair operations along I-90 eastbound and westbound from Monday night, Oct. 7, through Thursday night, Oct. 10.

Lane closures will be in effect, and traffic will be allowed through the work zones. The schedule for the work and lane closures is as follows:

Otis/Blandford

• Paving and traffic marking operations will be conducted on I-90 eastbound and westbound from mile marker 21.0 to 27.0, Monday night, Oct.7, through Thursday night, Oct.10, from 6:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the following morning, with work concluding by 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning, Oct.11.
• Bridge work will be conducted on I-90 eastbound and westbound at mile marker 22.5, Monday night, Oct.7, through Thursday night, Oct.10, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the following morning, with work concluding by 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning, Oct.11.

Stockbridge/West Stockbridge

• Bridge repair work will be conducted on I-90 eastbound and westbound from mile marker 1.0 to 3.0, Monday night, Oct.7, through Thursday night, Oct.10, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the following morning, with work concluding by 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning, Oct.11.
• Guardrail work will be conducted on I-90 eastbound and westbound from mile marker 3.0 to 8.0, Monday night, Oct.7, through Thursday night, Oct.10, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. the following morning, with work concluding by 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning, Oct.11.

Appropriate signage, law enforcement details, and messaging will be in place to guide drivers through the work area.

Drivers traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed, and use caution.

All scheduled work is weather dependent and subject to change without notice.

Butternut Fire Expands to Sheffield, Covering 1,100 Acres

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
03:56PM / Wednesday, November 20, 2024

The fire expanded during to the night to cover more than 1,100 acres. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Butternut Fire has expanded tenfold, now covering almost 1,100 acres of forest and spreading to Sheffield.

Just before noon on Wednesday, the town reported that the wildfire near Brush Hill Road off East Mountain had unexpected growth overnight. It spread over 100 acres on Tuesday and on Wednesday, was estimated to cover slightly less than 1,100 acres.

The town remains in a state of emergency, as declared by the Select Board on Tuesday, but first responders assure that Great Barrington is not in danger.

Around 2 p.m., the Great Barrington Fire Department reported via Facebook that "significant fire" was extinguished by using a Blackhawk helicopter to drop 600 gallons of water. Water is now being pulled from Three Mile Pond in Sheffield.

The blaze is being referred to as the Butternut Fire due to its proximity to Ski Butternut, which has confirmed there is no damage to the ski area.

"At this time the fire is more than a quarter of a mile from the nearest structures and there are not any immediate threats to the public. There have NOT been any evacuation orders at this time. We have strategically placed structural fire crews in the areas where there is the POTENTIAL for us to operate in a protection mode to protect homes and property," the town's press release reads.

"In the event of a need for an evacuation order, residents will be notified through Code RED along with in-person door-to-door notifications of the affected area — an information post will be shared on how to sign up if you are already not signed up."

The fire was first reported Monday evening and by 9 p.m., firefighters were pulled from the mountain because of the hazardous conditions. On Tuesday morning, neighboring departments were called in to help contain the blaze.