Construction crews this week kicked off a $31.1-million revamp of one of the most congested, pedestrian-unfriendly suburban roadways in Greater Boston.
Decades in the making, the Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation project will overhaul the 1.7-mile long Newton/Needham Corridor, a major commercial and retail artery just outside of Boston that is packed with both businesses and traffic, with an average daily vehicle count of 28,000.
Littered with curb cuts, the roadway has been marked by a free-for-all of traffic coming from all directions, making it difficult for pedestrians and shoppers to move from one store to the next – or simply cross the street – without getting back in their cars, noted Greg Reibman, president of the Newton-Needham Chamber.
The project includes a number of measures to help make it easier to get around, both by car and on foot, with plans to eliminate a number of curb cuts and synchronize traffic lights.
P. Gioiso & Sons Inc. is the prime contractor on the project, with D&R General Contracting Inc. and the Don Martin Corp. handling the paving, with work slated for completion in 2023.
"It's the biggest road construction project to touch our region in a generation," Reibman wrote in a blog post on the launch of the project.
The corridor starts at the intersection of Winchester Street with Route 9 in Newton, and then continues down Needham Street before crossing a historic Charles River bridge to Highland Avenue in Needham.
道路改造的关键特征之一是计划宽阔的人行道，为行人提供空间，并为骑自行车的人带来了高架自行车道。总而言之，新的人行道的宽度将超过11英尺，分为5½英尺宽的自行车道和行人5½英尺的空间。
Cantilevered sidewalks will also be added onto the stone bridge over the Charles, which dates to 1875, for use by both cyclists and pedestrians.
The roadway at the heart of the corridor is also poised for a major makeover, with plans for two drive lanes and a center lane for left turns from both directions.
Traffic signals will be replaced at five locations, with two signals installed as well, including at the busy intersection with Route 9 at the start of the corridor.
The project has been on the radar screen for more than two decades, having been proposed as far back as the mid-1990s.
商会的雷布曼说，但是始终稀缺的联邦和州运输资金意味着在过去的几年中，牛顿和尼德姆的地方官员最终需要协调的推动，以最终将其移至合格的项目名单。新利18备用网址
The long-delayed roadwork also kicks off a few months after the start of construction on major redevelopment of 28 acres of underused commercial buildings and lots along alongside the Newton stretch of the winding suburban corridor.
Developer Northland Investment Corp. is pushing ahead with plans for 1.1 million sq ft of new commercial and housing space, including 300,000 sq ft of new offices and shops and 800 housing units, of which 140 will be designated as affordable and rented out at below-market rates.
一位当地官员指出，尽管将牛顿/尼德姆走廊的改造从绘图板上换成了数十年，但可能已经有一线希望。
Thinking about transportation has changed significantly over the years, as can be seen with the addition of a 11-ft-plus wide sidewalk with space for a raised bike path.
“In the 20-plus years it has been in the making, it has allowed advances in transportation to catch up,” said Barney Heath, director of planning and development for the city of Newton.
