Recent improvements to Route 141 have made the trip to school a little smoother for Williston’s 212 commuters.

The road, which takes cars from campus up and over Mt. Tom, was recently repaved, a $1 million project which began Sept. 23 and finished the week of Oct. 14, according to Greg Nuttellman, Easthampton’s Director of Public Works. It’s a public works project that will benefit all 500-plus students at Williston, from those who command-a-van on the weekend to the 212 students, not to mention faculty and staff, who commute everyday to and from school.

Before the resurfacing started, commuters were greeted with a light up sign at the base of the mountain that read “road milling beginning September 23rd.” Milling, Nuttelman explained, is the mechanical disruption of the existing pavement with a machine called a cold planer. It is this roughened surface and grooves that allow the hot asphalt to adhere.

Asked about the lifespan of the project, Nuttelman explained that the new road should last about 20 years.