Danvers, Peabody Route 114 Reconstruction Public Meeting Thursday

PEABODY, MA — A public meeting to provide information and solicit feedback on one of the state's most crash-laden roadways is set for Thursday when state Department of Transportation officials will update plans for "tier 2" reconstruction plans for Route 114 in Danvers and Peabody.

The virtual meeting is set for Wednesday night at 6.

• Danvers, Peabody 'Suicide' Route 114 Stretch Fix Includes New Traffic Pattern, Flex Posts

As part of long-term reconstruction plans spurred by a spate of fatal crashes and those causing serious injuries along the roadway, the state conducted a study to analyze the possibility of installing a median, among other safety measures.

The changes were derived from the Road Safety Audit that the MassDOT conducted in response to the December 2021 public meeting in which speakers charged there had been 16 fatal accidents, 1,627 non-fatal accidents and 3,260 property damage accidents totaling more than 5,400 total accidents on the Peabody stretch of the roadway alone over the previous 19 years.

At Wednesday's meeting, the study team will share an overview of the study's background, present potential future design alternatives, and solicit feedback from the public.

This public information meeting is the final public meeting as part of the Long-Term Improvements Study. A final report containing existing conditions, alternatives, and recommendations for the study area is expected to be available to the public at the end of 2024.

Go here for more information on the project and to virtually attend the meeting.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)