Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials have fast tracked the bidding process for contractors to repair a six mile stretch of Route 2. New England Public Radio's Jill Kaufman reports.

It's been almost five weeks since significant storm damage from Irene closed Route 2 between the town of Florida, just before North Adams and Charlemont. This week state officials  expedited the bidding process for contractors to repair severe slope failures adjacent to the road,  roadway instability, eroded bridge approaches, and retaining-walls. State Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey says bids were taken on Monday–contracts were awarded Wednesday and the goal is to re open the road by mid-December.

"All in all it will take about $35-million dollars to repair all the damage that's been done. That would take months to secure those contracts; we did it in days. And it's because not only of the emergency situation from tropical storm damage, but also we know that Route 2 is an important life line for our customers in western Massachusetts."

Short cutting the process required approval from  the State Inspector General. Davey — who was appointed as Secretary of Transportation just weeks before Irene hit — says while the road is expected to be open by mid-December, barring any major snow storms, additional work will take place in the spring.