Roads Corporation of Billerica, MA, has been awarded a $7.7-million contract to reconstruct and resurface a three-and-one-half mile section of Pond Street and Old West Central Street in Franklin, MA.

The project, which began this spring and will be completed by the end of 2001, is one of about 40 projects Roads Corporation has under way throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut in a typical year, said Noel Farah, vice president of construction and estimating.

“Our projects range in size from $30 million on down to $1.5 million,” Farah said.

Farah said the Franklin project is a total reconstruction, involving building a new roadway, installing new curbing and then resurfacing. It’s typical of many projects we specialize in,” he said.

During construction of the Franklin roadway, new utility, drain, and water lines will be installed and a new culvert crossing will be built. A sub-contractor will upgrade the traffic signals as required under the contract.

Roads Corporation transported a Caterpillar 500 Pulverizer to the job site to pulverize the existing roadway into a 7.6-centimeter (3 in.) minus base. “If we don’t have enough of the pulverized aggregate, or if it doesn’t measure up for some reason, we will add gravel as we see fit,” Farah said.

The privately-held Roads Corporation was formed in 1992 and is owned by John Sarao and Tony Barrile. The firm has satellite offices in Northfield, MA, and Plainfield, CT.

Roads Corporation manages about $60 million in roadwork contracts annually. The company employs 300 workers.