Milton Traffic Commission Approves Realignment of Major Intersection

The Milton Traffic Commission has recommended a modification to the intersection of Brush Hill Road and Neponset Valley Parkway to the Board of Selectmen. If the Selectmen approve the change and funding is secured, the intersection will be moved about 150 feet south and realigned into a traditional “T” intersection.

The realignment will also add a southbound right-turn lane on Neponset Valley Parkway.  A stop sign will also be added on Brush Hill Road eastbound. The parking lot currently located near the intersection will be accessed via a new driveway made of the abandoned portion of Brush Hill Road. Crosswalks will also be added in the area.

The intersection change is a portion of a proposal created by the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization on March 1, 2012.

At the Traffic Commission meeting at the Milton Police Station on September 19, residents from Fuller Village, who supported the realignment, and representatives of the Brush Hill Area Neighborhood Association, who opposed the change, all spoke.

Following emotional statements from both sides, DPW Director Joseph Lynch informed the audience that the commission does not take their responsibilities lightly.

“It’s not hyperbole,” Lynch said. “The data suggests this is a dangerous intersection.”

According to the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s report there were 23 motor vehicle accidents at Brush Hill Road and Neponset Valley Parkway between 2006 and 2008. The volume of crashes is three times higher than comparable intersections in the area.

Chief Richard Wells Jr., Traffic Commission chair, expressed the most concerns about the change of any members of the commission.

Wells expressed concern about the high cost of realigning the intersection and the high volume of trucks that travel through the area.

He also echoed a suggestion made by Roxanne Musto of the Brush Hill Area Neighborhood Association, concerning the shrubs at the edge of Flatley Field, located on the Milton Health Care property.

“What I can see in this configuration is [the trees] stay,” Wells said.

The Selectmen will now be charged with accepting the recommendation and finding funding for the construction.