A significant $9.5 million improvement initiative for the one-mile Broadway stretch extending from City Hall Avenue to the Revere line may commence in spring 2022.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation conducted a public hearing on Thursday, March 21, to present preliminary design plans for the roadway reconstruction. Despite state officials and engineers substantially outnumbering the residents present, the meeting provided substantial details regarding the project’s design, scope, and expected timeline.
“We are finishing the 25 percent design
stage,” stated Larry Cash, MassDOT’s project manager. “After this hearing, we
will be advancing to the final design stage.”
According to Weston and Sampson engineer Larry Keegan, the project aims to enhance safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists throughout the Broadway corridor and connecting streets. New turn lanes, expanded vehicle stacking capacity, and improved traffic signals will facilitate safer vehicle turning and better protection for pedestrians and cyclists, he explained. The design incorporates dedicated bicycle lanes spanning the entire mile.
“There have been 97 collisions over a
three-year period” along that portion of Broadway,” Keegan noted. “That is above
the state average.”
Poor intersection design, aging traffic signals, and inadequate pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities represent the primary factors behind accident frequency, according to Keegan. The reconstruction will address all these deficiencies.
Beyond road resurfacing, the project includes substantial sidewalk reconstruction and drainage improvements.
Sidewalk enhancements will necessitate tree removal.
“The existing trees are old and unhealthy,
lifting up the sidewalks themselves so that they are not ADA (Americans with
Disabilities Act) compliant,” Keegan stated.
MBTA bus stops will receive significant upgrades. Keegan highlighted extensive pavement deterioration and faded markings along the Broadway mile resulting from extended use, with bus stops showing particularly severe damage.
The project requires both permanent and temporary easements from neighboring property owners. Cash noted these easements serve either temporary construction purposes or facilitate sidewalk installation or minor regrading.
Construction involving pavement and sidewalk removal inevitably creates traffic and construction challenges.
Keegan stated the strategy prioritizes minimizing disruptions and maintaining traffic flow.
“No detours are anticipated at this time,” he explained.
Daytime operations will restrict one traffic lane with police-managed traffic flow. Nighttime will maintain two-way traffic, Keegan indicated. Access to schools, businesses, and residences will remain open whenever feasible.
Resident John Gunning inquired whether bus stops would remain at current locations and whether bus shelter improvements were planned.
Keegan indicated that engineers will collaborate with the MBTA during the next design phase to address such concerns.
“The T wants certain things and the city
wants certain things (for the bus stops),” he noted. “We are looking at
different options at this point.”
Gunning expressed interest in modern, attractive bus shelters and stops that would harmonize with the surrounding area and completed improvements.
Design, permitting, and right of way acquisition will extend through 2019 and 2020, with construction expected to begin spring 2022, according to Cash.