Mayor Ted Bettencourt recently announced that the city has received $20 million in state and federal funds to rebuild the Central Street corridor.
In the Facebook announcement last week, Bettencourt said that there are plans for new road surfaces, sidewalks, curbs, crosswalks, traffic signals, and modern design amenities. The repairs will begin at the intersection of Walnut Street and continue to the intersection of Endicott Street and Route 114 at Wilson Square.
“Each day I receive calls about the poor quality of Central Street, and how driving on this road is a nightmare,” Bettencourt said in the video announcement. “I couldn’t agree more. It’s awful.”
Bettencourt said that the project will improve traffic flow, accessibility, safety, and quality of life for Peabody residents and businesses.
Construction is scheduled to last from 2024 to 2027. The bulk of the work will start in April, but some utility work will commence as early as this month.
In the video, Bettencourt acknowledged that three to four years may seem like a long time for construction, and said that it is because the construction season only lasts from spring to fall.
He also anticipated some traffic disruptions during the first half of the project phase, but said that work will mostly happen on the side of the road, away from traffic, during the second half.
Bettencourt said that the contractors and engineers hired for the project are committed to finishing construction on time, or even ahead of schedule.
Bettencourt also said that the Police Department will keep people updated on real-time traffic disruptions during construction and that there will be construction updates on the PeabodyConnect app and the city’s website.
“I’m so excited to see the final project, but we have a lot of work ahead of us,” Bettencourt said.
