Safety and Operational Improvements Provide Access to Critical New England Distribution Centers
This project consisted of the planning and design of safety and operational improvements along a 0.67-mile corridor of regional importance, providing the sole access to major oil, natural gas, and food distribution centers that drive the economy of all of New England. The 26- to 32-foot wide roadway carries more than 4,000 trucks daily and is in exceedingly poor condition, resulting in crash rates up to three times District averages. The significance of the roadway to the commerce of the region has resulted in coordination with MassDOT Districts 4 and 6, City officials, and businesses along the corridor such as ExxonMobil and Distrigas to build consensus on a preferred alternative that best serves all users.
Services Snapshot
The proposed improvements will provide a pavement design to accommodate the heavy truck demand, additional turn lanes to accommodate heavy turning movement volumes, improved continuous sidewalks along the length of the project corridor, increased roadway width to safely accommodate bicycle traffic, and safety improvements at two freight rail crossings in close proximity to an unsignalized intersection.