Leominster and Fitchburg Road Projects

Over a week ago in a comment to the Quick comments on the Rt12 project.
Dean Tran said...
I listened to WEIM this morning on my way to work. Ray C had Mayor Mazarella on. The Mayor mentioned the handful of projects the city of Leominster is working on and/or slated to have in the near future including new exits coming off Rt2, more work on Rt13, Rt12 and others. How did Leominster managed to get all these projects?

Is this the best we can get in Fitchburg is Rt12 widening?

Well here's how Leominster and Fitchburg compare based on information from the MassHwy website.

Leominster Projects

• Projects Completed
  1. 601358 Resurfacing Rt 13 from Lunenburg to Prospect St 2.4 miles
• Projects under constuction
  1. 180514 - Rt 2 exit 34
  2. 602459 - Rehabilitate Rt 13 Bridge over Nashua River
  3. 603422 - Resurfacing sections of Rt 2
• Projects in Design
  1. 600760 - Replace Mechanic St bridge over North Nashua River - TIP year 2007
  2. 601992 - Signalization at Willard and Rt 12 - TIP year 2006
  3. 602340 - Bike Path at Searstown - TIP year 2010
  4. 603331 - Rt 12 Phase 1 and 2 - TIP year 2006
  5. 603514 - Bridge Replacement Whitney St over Monoosnok Brook
  6. 604588 - Resurfacing Rt I190 - TIP year 2006
  7. 604672 - Bridge Rehabilitation Rt 12 over Rt 2

Fitchburg Projects

• Projects Completed
  1. 601093 Resurfacing and related work Rt 31 Mechanic St
  2. 601440 Bridge Rehabilitation Townsend St over Baker Brook
  3. 602399 Reconstruction on North St (Bikepath and Streetscape)
  4. 602837 District 2 and 3 Guardrail and Delineation Littleton to Phillipston
• Projects under constuction
  1. 601365 - Milling and Resurfacing 2A Lunenburg St. Highland to Perkings 0.6 miles
  2. 601959 - Reconstruction and related work on Summer St
  3. 602553 - Traffic Safety Improvements at Main and North
  4. 602704 - Bridge replacement over B&M Railroad and North River
  5. 603422 - Resurfacing and related work on sections of Rt 2
  6. 603663 - Bridge Replacement on Mass 5th Hwy over Flag Brook
• Projects in Design
  1. 602621 - Resurfacing Rt 31 John Fitch to Scripture Road - TIP year 2008
  2. 603331 - Rt 12 Phase 1 and 2 - TIP year 2006
  3. 603537 - Reconstruction on North St from Pearl to Ross (Phase III) - TIP year 2007
  4. 604046 - Bridge Replacement on Rt 2A Kimball St over Nashua St - TIP year 2008
  5. 604364 - Resurfacing and related work on Rt 2 from exit 26 in Westminster to exit 24 in Fitchburg (Rt 31)
  6. 604634 - Bridge Replacement Ashby West Road over Scott Reservoir oulet
  7. 604736 - Traffic Intersection improvements John Fitch at Ashby State Rd (Rt 31)

As you can see there's not that much of a difference. Could it be simply that :

• Leominster's location and access to Rt 2, Rt 70, Rt I190, Rt 13, Rt 117 and Rt 12 just make it a target (no pun intended) for commercial and residential development
• that the high profile projects on Rt 2 are needed to deal with the increased traffic
• that these projects are seen by many of us twice each day during the commute