SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - The City of Springfield is gearing up for construction to finally begin on the "X" intersection in Forest Park. Springfield city officials held a public meeting Tuesday night to give residents the latest updates as the reconstruction project on the "X" intersection in Forest Park is slated to begin this season. Now their goal is to keep residents up to date on construction and hopefully avoid any traffic headaches. Mayor Domenic Sarno stated, "I've lived in this area all my life---the "X" is a major intersection for the City of Springfield, and long overdue to get it redone. But it's going to take some time---so we appreciate the patience." According to MassDOT's estimated timeline, starting this spring residents will first see utility work in the area of Sumner Ave as well as site preparation, and this summer, drainage construction will begin. Roadway construction will not start until the summer of 2028, followed by project landscaping and sidewalk improvements the following year. And while things get underway, Springfield city officials are working to ensure residents are always aware of when and where construction is happening to avoid any traffic headaches. "There is going to be a way for residents---and everybody else," says DPW Director Chris Cignoli. "To sign up and get that information daily. We did it several years ago when they did I-91 over and it worked great for those who signed up. We are trying to make this as disruptive as possible." MassDOT will host a public meeting on the project in May and hold additional meetings throughout construction until its estimated completion in the summer of 2030. MassDOT has not released the short-term schedules for construction but we will have updates once they become available. Local News Headlines Greenfield Public Library to close March 28 for staff training Partial solar eclipse visible in New England this weekend Consumer confidence drops to lowest level in 12 years The “X” intersection project set to begin this spring WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. ...read more read less