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Jul 15, 2023

MassDOT: Route 1 rotary work to begin day after Labor Day

The Route 1 traffic circle as seen looking towards Dunkin’s. The project will lead to some closures and detours according to the city’s mayor. NEWBURYPORT – The Massachusetts Department of

The Route 1 traffic circle as seen looking towards Dunkin’s. The project will lead to some closures and detours according to the city’s mayor.

NEWBURYPORT – The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently informed city officials it will start construction improvements to the Route 1 traffic circle on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

The work is part of MassDOT’s overall Route 1 resurfacing project that extends from the Rowley/Newbury border into Salisbury. The rotary work will improve bike and pedestrian connections, create a safer traffic flow, and better incorporate the circle into the surrounding neighborhood, according to MassDOT.

MassDOT’s mixed-lane roundabout approach will complete the east-west path connection between the Clipper City Rail Trail and the MBTA commuter rail station, add new pedestrian beacons to help crossing Route 1, and add new pavement markings, delineators, and signage.

Newburyport Senior Project Manager Geordie Vining called the project “a significant milestone on a number of levels,” saying not only will it close a large gap in the rail trail but will greatly cut down on the number of motor vehicle crashes and make it far easier to cross the highway.

‘It’s going to be a lot better,” Vining said.

Vining said he has been working with MassDOT on making the rotary safer for pedestrians and bicyclists for decades. But it was only in the last five years or so that MassDOT officials and his office began intensive discussions. He surmised that the 2016 death of 77-year-old Richard Barbieri Sr. by a motorist leaving the rotary onto State Street was a factor in pushing the state agency into action.

Vining went on to say that the number of crashes in and around the rotary should drop after it is reduced to one lane of traffic.

Work will generally take place from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The rotary will remain open but motorists should expect some delays through the first three phases of the project.

Route 1 northbound will be closed during the second half of Phase 4, tentatively scheduled from Friday night, Nov. 10, through Monday morning, Nov. 13. Northbound traffic will be detoured to State Street during this work.

“MassDOT is addressing critical needs in this project, and we appreciate their communication on their schedule and approach,” Mayor Sean Reardon said. “We are anticipating limited disruptions besides the one weekend when the rotary is closed, and we will make sure MassDOT and the city collaborate to provide information in advance.”

Reardon’s comment regarding communication with MassDOT hearkens back to earlier this year when city officials voiced its concern over the lack of it when MassDOT began reducing the number of traffic lanes on the Gillis Memorial Bridge to create bicycle lanes without warning. MassDOT officials later apologized for the communication slip up during a Zoom meeting with local and state lawmakers.

“That was important and an opportunity for us to hit the reset button to make sure that all of the projects planned for the Route 1 corridor have better communication moving forward,” State Sen. Bruce Tarr said back in May.

Work will stop during the winter but will resume next spring with the installation of pedestrian-activated crosswalk signals, final paving, and landscaping. It is hoped the project will be 100 percent done by spring or summer, according to MassDOT.

All current project timelines are subject to weather and construction conditions.

Bringing the Clipper City Rail Trail closer to a continuous loop has long been coveted by city officials and no doubt most who use the 3.3-mile mostly paved walkway.

The full continuous rail trail loop around the core of Newburyport is almost complete, and once MassDOT finishes its project, the only remaining section to be built belongs to developer Ed Hill’s trail section along Parker Street. Hill’s section is not expected to be completed until 2024 at the earliest.

Questions about the project should be directed to MassDOT’s Resident Engineer, Carmen Illardi, at 617-866-8760 or [email protected].

Dave Rogers is the editor of the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

Dave Rogers is the editor of the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

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