New England Construction, December 2013
Northbridge Embraces Cost-Efficient Micro Surfacing as DPW Upgrades Road Network
By Paul Fournier
With the full financial support of selectmen, the Public Works Department of the Town of Northbridge in south central Massachusetts has launched an ambitious road upgrade program with a distinctive title, “No Road Left Behind,” that succinctly describes its ultimate goal.
No Road Left Behind is the brainchild of Northbridge Public Works Director Jim Shuris and Highway Superintendent Bob Van Meter – both highly experienced veterans of road construction and maintenance in public as well as private sectors.
Shuris has been employed in the public sector for about 18 years and in the private sector for about 18 years. As a registered engineer and licensed contractor in Massachusetts, he has been involved in structural and geotechnical engineering, and is also an adjunct engineering professor at Mount Wachusett Community College.
Van Meter’s diversified background includes working for private contractors as a truck driver and equipment operator, as sales representative for pavement materials suppliers Hudson Asphalt and All States Asphalt, as Assistant DPW Director for the City of Warwick, Rhode Island, as Project Manager for a Florida utility company, and as a bridge Inspector for Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
