Selectmen Express Doubts Over Roundabout

The Board of Selectmen expressed their reservations for a proposed redesign of the busy Route 44/118 intersection, which has been the site of several crashes.The state intends to create a roundabout, which would eliminate the need for traffic signals as well as slow traffic in the area.

A public hearing will be held at the Council on Aging on January 28. Residents are invited to provide their feedback on the proposal to state officials. The event begins at 7 pm.

Selectman Mike Costello explained the redesign would feature bicycle lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, and ADA accessibility. “Personally, I think a gallon of paint and a traffic light with a couple of turn arrows would take care of our problem up there,” said Chairman Gerry Schwall at the board’s January 15 meeting.

Rt.44, also known as Winthrop Street, and 118, known as Bay State Road, has had 60 crashes reported in the last five years, according to Mass DOT.  The project will be fully funded by the Transportation Improvement Program at a cost of $2.5 million. The state would cover the design cost.

Mass DOT official John Morgan told selectmen in 2018 the roundabout was “the best option” and was recommended by the agency.  Costello said there had been other options for consideration, including the installation of new traffic lights.  “The state is really fixed on roundabouts because they’ve installed them in a number of communities around the state and they find them safety-wise to be the best bang for the dollar,” Costello noted.

Schwall believes the views of local officials were swept aside by the state. “They basically knew what they wanted before that (November 2018) meeting,” Costello added.