New Link Between Milford, Hopedale Funded By MassDOT 'Complete Streets' Grant

HOPEDALE, MA — A new transportation link between Milford and Hopedale has received a major boost from the state in the form of a $500,000 grant.

MassDOT awarded Hopedale the grant this week for a project along Adin Street — which links Route 16 near the Milford Regional Medical Center to Hopedale center — with a new route for pedestrians, cyclists and people with mobility impairments.

According to Town Administrator Mitch Ruscitti, the project will build a multi-use, ADA-compliant pedestrian pathway along the south side of Adin Street. The project will also build a new MWRTA bus stop at the medical center.

The grant is part of the state's "complete streets" program, which helps fund projects that improve road safety and accessibility for non-motorized users. The state grant will fund a majority of the $806,000 project, with the rest coming from state Chapter 90 highway funds.

The Adin Street corridor is an important local route. The street provides access between the medical center and a bus stop and downtown Hopedale, but also passes by a park, Hopedale Memorial School and Hopedale Junior-Senior High School.

"This complete streets award allows Hopedale to improve student safety, as well as the safety of residents of all abilities, in a way that pays tribute to the historic beauty of Adin Street," Select Board Chair Glenda Hazard said in a news release.

Ruscitti said the town will continue working on designs for the project in the coming months with construction beginning as soon as spring. Hopedale has been planning the project since September 2021.

"The town is committed to providing safe and traversable pedestrian opportunities for all its residents. I am thrilled at the prospect of enhancing student safety and providing a safe space for pedestrians while also working with the community to implement this project on a street so visible as Adin," Ruscitti said.