The Massachusetts Department of Transportation discussed the Route 114 Danvers/Peabody Long-Term Improvements Study and welcomed public feedback to its short-term changes and the study itself at an informational session Thursday.
State Sen. Joan Lovely, state Reps. Tom Walsh and Sally Kerans, Ward 5 City Councilor Dave Gamache, Ward 4 Councilor Julie Daigle, and City Council President and Ward 3 Councilor Stephanie Peach were all in attendance.
While the main goal of the long-term study is to examine the impacts and benefits of installing a median barrier along Route 114, it will also explore ways to better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, collect traffic data, and analyze future land conditions, Rachel Kelly from MassDOT’s Office of Transportation Planning said.
The presentation reviewed existing land and roadway conditions, environmental restrictions, and traffic data, and provided options of what a median alternative would look like.
Kelly evaluated the short-term changes MassDOT has already put into effect.
According to the department’s website, these changes include new pavement markings, crosswalks, signage updates, and timing improvements to signals.
“In response to fatal crashes between 2019 and 2021 along the Route 114 corridor, MassDOT Highway Division, in collaboration with the City of Peabody, Town of Danvers, Rep. Tom Walsh’s office, Rep. Sally Kerans’ office, and Sen. Lovely’s office, implemented the first tier of improvements to Route 114 in a ‘quick-build’ manner, which are limited to improvements that do not require any right-of-way impacts, new conduit trenching, or private business access impacts,” the website reads.
The second tier of improvements, which, according to the website, were installed during fall 2023, added FlexPosts to prohibit left-turns to select areas where they posed the “greatest crash risk.”
Paul Nelson, a transportation planning manager with HNTB Corporation, MassDOT’s consultant firm on the project, presented how it plans to improve on the short-term changes and create long-term solutions.
His presentation focused on installing a median barrier to prevent left-hand turns along the route.
The long-term study’s goals are to “improve safety and comfort for all users in the corridor, provide mobility and accessibility for all those transportation users, promote economic development… improve quality of life, provide cost-effective improvements,” and minimize environmental impact, Nelson said.
During the public-comment portion of the session, residents expressed their concerns regarding the safety of Route 114 and supported the construction of a median barrier.
MassDOT and HNTB plan to host another public meeting during the fall, and are encouraging residents to reach out with feedback throughout the process.
“All of the design and project development processes that MassDOT follows have additional opportunities for public feedback, so this is by no means your last opportunity to provide input or feedback on what we’re looking at here,” Nelson said. “We’re just hoping that early coordination and feedback will help us.”
