Sterling Road

Sterling Road is an industrial street in North Billerica, about 3,000 feet long, running from Rangeway Road southeast beside Route 3 to Esquire Road. It was first drawn on a Land Court plan, "Plan of Land in Billerica," by Dana F. Perkins & Sons, Inc., surveyors, dated November 27, 1974 (Land Court Plan 38801-A, registered in 1976). The plan shows "Sterling Rd. (Private - 50.00 wide)" leaving Rangeway Road and curving southeast to the line of the state highway, with seven large lots between it and a private way 66 feet wide, marked "Middlesex Turnpike," along the Route 3 layout. Later plans of the same Land Court case, from 1977 to 1986, divided the lots further. The origin of the name Sterling was not found.

The road was built in the late 1970s. The Water Department reported in 1978 that the area by Nashua and Rangeway Roads "will be improved by the completion of the 12 inch loop on Sterling Road," and the town engineer counted "Sterling Rd." among the subdivisions under construction in 1980. Truck terminals were built on it about 1980 and 1981. In 1981 the Planning Board received "Sterling Road Industrial Park II, a 4 lot, industrial" subdivision, and in 1982 it reviewed the "Route 3 Industrial Park and Sterling Road Industrial Park, for road completion." The road was eventually joined at its southern end to Esquire Road of the Treble Cove Industrial Park.

An article to accept Sterling Road was dismissed in 1983. At the sixth session of the annual town meeting, on May 17, 1984, the town accepted it "as a public way in accordance with a plan on file with the Town Clerk, a way 50 feet wide and 3,020 feet, more or less long," together with Republic Road and Esquire Road. On May 5, 1988 town meeting adopted a by-law that "no commercial vehicle over 18,000 lbs. registered G.V.W. ... will be allowed to exit Sterling Road on to Rangeway Road." In 1996 the selectmen sought a grant "to provide sewer for the Republic, Sterling and Esquire Road Industrial area," and in 2004 town meeting authorized the taking of easements "for the construction and maintenance of sewer lines on Sterling Road." Its name has not changed.

References

1. Annual Report 1978: Water Department, completion of the 12 inch loop on Sterling Road
2. Annual Report 1980: Engineering, Sterling Rd. among subdivisions in construction
3. Annual Report 1981: Planning Board, Sterling Road Industrial Park II, a 4 lot industrial subdivision
4. Annual Report 1982: Planning Board, Route 3 Industrial Park and Sterling Road Industrial Park, for road completion
5. Annual Report 1983: Art. 47 street acceptances incl. Sterling Road dismissed
6. Annual Report 1984: warrant Art. 27, accept Republic Road, Sterling Road, Esquire Road and others
7. Annual Report 1984: May 17, 1984, Sterling Road accepted, 50 ft wide and 3,020 ft long
8. Annual Report 1988: May 5, 1988, Art. 33 by-law, heavy trucks not to exit Sterling Road onto Rangeway Road
9. Annual Report 1996: Selectmen seek CDAG grant for sewer in the Republic, Sterling and Esquire Road area
10. Annual Report 2004: Art. 33, sewer easements for sewer lines on Sterling Road, carried