ROCHESTER – The long-term construction project that is County Road could get federal funding, if a joint town reclassification attempt is successful.

Rochester Town Administrator Mike McCue received approval to continue efforts to reclassify County Road as an “urban collector” that would make much needed funds for upgrades available.

On Jan. 11, Rochester Selectmen approved McCue’s request to keep working with officials in Wareham and Marion to seek the change, which – if granted – would make the 5.5-mile road eligible for federal funding.

Though Wareham's section of the road was recently repaved, there had been no major reconstruction done 40 years prior to that. Coupled with potholes that resembled craters and frequent flooding, residents in both Wareham and Marion said traveling and living on the road was annoying, hazardous and expensive.

However, the cost to upgrade the road to an urban collector will also be expensive, said Wareham Town Administrator Derek Sullivan, because it would also involve widening the road to 35 feet across, and adding sidewalks.

"The Town would be responsible for all design costs and land takings," Sullivan said. "Additional expenses and issues are relocation of new water mains and relocation of telephone poles."

On Jan. 6, McCue met with Wareham Selectman Alan Slavin, Marion Selectman Jon Henry and officials from the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District. Known as SRPEDD, the agency offers planning assistance for transportation, economic and other issues to area cities and towns.

At the meeting, McCue said officials learned that recent traffic counts are high enough to pursue reclassification.

McCue also noted there is flexibility regarding federal guidelines that were previously cause for concern, such as road width requirements.

“In Rochester and Wareham if you expand [the road] too far you’re taking away peoples' living rooms,” McCue said. “There is some flexibility to that requirement.”

In light of that, McCue said the three towns unofficially agreed to move forward with the reclassification process.

There is one caveat, though.

Should County Road receive the designation other roads would have to be declassified under the federal list in a one-to-one tradeoff, Sullivan said.

"For example if the Town gave up 1.08 miles of Indian Neck Road's Urban Collector status then County Road would receive 1.08 miles," he said.

Before any decisions are made, Sullivan said the town would seek the public's input.