Route 117 intersection getting safety improvements

Addressing long-standing safety concerns at the intersection of Route 117 and Lincoln Road, the town is working on new traffic islands and a pedestrian light that should be complete in a few weeks.

Residents have complained for years about the intersection’s dangers to both cars and pedestrians. “Everyone who lives near this intersection has had too many close calls to count, some of them involving children,” Lincoln Road resident Chris Ratiner wrote in a LincolnTalk discussion.

Not everyone was pleased with the project, however. Trapelo Road resident Brad Meyer noted that the new curbing restricts eastbound traffic to a single lane, leaving no room for cars waiting to turn left into Lincoln Road. “This means that the moment anyone wants to turn there during the morning rush hour, the whole line of eastbound traffic will grind to a halt waiting for that driver to complete the turn. If this impression is correct, there will be frequent lines of stopped traffic at that intersection, full of frayed tempers at the needless delay. We may have to wait until the summer slack time is over before this mistake (if that’s what it is) becomes obvious,” he wrote.

“Throughout the process, the local neighborhood supported the improvements and were involved, along with the Roadway and Traffic Committee, in determining a course of action,” said DPW Superintendent Chris Bibbo.

Once work is complete, the intersection will have safety islands in the middle of Route 117 for pedestrians who aren’t able to cross both lanes at once due to traffic volume. There will also be pedestrian-activated flashing yellow crossing lights and signs similar to those outside Bemis Hall on Trapelo Road.

The project (which will not include any road widening beyond what’s already been done) was designed by consulting engineer Hayner and Swanson with input from the Cycling Committee and vetting by the RTC, Bibbo said.

The work was made possible by a grant from a state program that encourages safety measures on roadways for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. The town held public forums to hear how residents thought the money should be spent, and the Route 117 intersection was identified as a safety priority.

The Roadway and Traffic Commission (CK) has looked at various safety-improvement ideas for the intersection over the years, including a roundabout. The Department of Public Works removed some vegetation and relocated a fence to improve sight lines, but this is the first time the roadway itself has been changed.

Several other projects funded by the same $400,000 grant, such as repairs to roadside paths, are also in progress or already complete. Everything is slated for completion by September, and the town plans to apply for another Complete Streets grant in 2019 for a second set of road and path improvements.

Work stopped temporarily while the contractor awaited delivery of granite cobblestones but is expected to resume this week, Bibbo said.