Boston Street Roadway Improvement Project
Scope of Work:
The project limits include a 0.84-mile segment of Boston Street from Howley Street in Peabody to Essex Street in Salem.
In addition, the limits of work include a 0.12-mile segment of Essex Street at the intersection of Boston Street, a 0.03-mile segment of Aborn Street approaching Boston Street, a 0.01-mile segment of Pope Street approaching Boston Street, and a 0.01-mile segment of Goodhue Street approaching Boston Street.
Major improvements to the corridor include:
- Incorporation of complete streets design elements such as off-road separated bike lanes for the majority of the corridor (with on-road bike lanes in the short segments where the cross-section is too narrow for separated bike lanes)
- ADA/AAB compliant sidewalks, pedestrian ramps and crosswalks.
- Proposed cross-section for Boston Street includes one-lane of travel in each direction with additional turn lanes at signalized intersections, where warranted, on-street parking for portions of the corridor, and bicycle facilities on both sides of the roadway.
New traffic signals are proposed at the intersections of Boston Street at Aborn Street and Boston Street at Pope Street. The existing traffic signals at the intersections of Main Street and Howley Street, Boston Street and Essex Street, Boston Street and Bridge Street / Proctor Street / Goodhue Street, and Boston Street and Grove Street / Nichols Street will be reconstructed, and the two existing traffic signals at mid-block crossings along the corridor will be removed.
Sidewalks along Boston Street will be reconstructed, and the curbs will be shifted along portions of the corridor to narrow the roadway cross-section and to provide off-road bicycle facilities. Landscape strips will be provided between the off-road separated bicycle lanes and the edge of curb for portions of the corridor. The reversal of the current one-way traffic patterns on Pope and Proctor Streets are included in this project to improve the functionality of the Boston/Proctor Street intersections.
Regional Benefit:
Boston Street is an urban principal arterial that connects Downtown Salem with Peabody Center, Route 128, and Route 1. The proposed improvements to the corridor will improve mobility for vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians between Salem and Peabody and will create separated bicycle facilities between the two municipalities that do not currently exist today. Bus stops will be designed to be ADA/AAB compliant.
