Selectmen Receive Update on the Glen Road and Middlesex Avenue Intersection Project

At Tuesday's Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Manager Jeff Hull read a letter from Department of Public Works Superintendent Donald Onusseit concerning the status of the Glen Road Middlesex Avenue intersection improvement project.

Following a three year delay by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the project will be ready for bid and construction in FY15, according to Onusseit.

Onusseit noted that this time frame was less than ideal, as the town has been ready to move forward with the project for some time.

"This is a disappointing time frame for the Town, as we could have been ready for construction several years ago," Onusseit said. "However, if we are requesting that the MassDOT fund the construction of the project, we seem to have no choice other than to proceed on their schedule."

The cost of the project will be approximately $800,000, and construction for the proposed project is estimated to take one year, according to Onusseit.

The purpose of the project is to improve safety at the intersection by installing geometric improvements and a fully signalized intersection at the intersection of Middlesex Avenue and both Glen Road and Wildwood Street, according to Onusseit.

The project will also serve to complete the Town's sidewalk network with the connection of the Glen Road sidewalk with the Middlesex Avenue sidewalk, according to Onusseit.

The Town began to move forward with the project in 2005 by hiring Green International to conduct preliminary engineering studies and the final design.

Since then, the Town has held two public information meetings on the project, as well as seperate meetings with abutters.

This is the town's number one traffic improvement priority, according to Onusseit.