Native groups say they’ll fight revised plan for controversial Northampton roundabout

NORTHAMPTON – A new plan from the state Department of Transportation to create a more compact roundabout in the North King Street and Hatfield No flinching Native American critic charged with protecting the 8,000-year-old village hidden underground near the site.

“What really impresses me is that the city of Northampton is so proud of recognizing Aboriginal Day, not Columbus Day,” said Mark Andrews, Wampanoag Deputy Superintendent of Cultural Resources in Aquinha and Narragansett Deputy Tribal Cultural Resources Officer. “So, they are the first to destroy an important site.”

Andrews said he and the tribes have the opportunity to intervene at the federal and state levels and block projects that harm cultural heritage.

A public briefing on the revised plan is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 210 Main Street. The meeting is also open approx mass.gov/event.

The project is currently in the preliminary design stage, said Christine Binoche, director of communications for the state transportation agency. “The upcoming information meeting is to inform community members about the traffic analysis and study of potential alternatives, which was conducted by an engineering company hired by (the state) in September 2022.”

The state abandoned plans worth $3.4 million Roundabout at the intersection in 2021 In the face of complaints not only from the tribes and their allies but from the region’s companies including…