Plans now at Town Hall for Route 41/44 changes

SALISBURY — At a public hearing of the Historic District Commission Monday morning, Aug. 17, First Selectman Curtis Rand went through the state Department of Transportation’s (DOT) plans for the intersection of routes 41 and 44 in Lakeville.

Rand provided the small audience (four people, plus a reporter and videographer) with a recap of the project’s nine-year history, which has been one of false starts and inaction.

Rand said that former First Selectman Val Bernardoni initially applied for a state transportation grant of $800,000 to do something about the intersection, which features a stone wall in need of repair and an awkwardly placed traffic island.

The grant was for safety and pedestrian improvements, Rand said.

The state DOT then spent several years developing different plans. One even featured a roundabout where the traffic island is.

Rand tactfully referred to that particular plan as “grandiose.”

The current plan was developed before the financial crisis of 2007-08 and subsequently set aside by the state for lack of funds, Rand continued.

The state’s interest was reawakened two years ago, and the plan under consideration now is primarily concerned with traffic calming and landscaping.

Kay Key of the Scenic Roads Committee said the plan, which is still preliminary, calls for narrowing the traffic lanes on Route 44 (Main Street) to 11 feet and for a series of bump-outs, starting at Bissell Street.

Bump-outs are also planned for Porter Street, by the post office; at the crosswalk in front of the post office; at Holley Street, and by Deano’s Pizza.

The crosswalk on the hill, west of The Boathouse restaurant, is slated for a bump-out and lighting, similar to the crosswalk in the middle of Salisbury village.

The stone wall will be rebuilt, using the original stones, and moved back three feet. Existing curbs will be replaced with granite curbing. And the traffic island will be moved slightly.

Sidewalks will be repaired near the intersection.

Susan Galluzzo urged that driveways along the route be brought up to par, and Mike Flint said that the entrance to the post office driveway is steep enough to cause a car to bottom out now and should be addressed.

The Historic District Commission will have to vote on the plan at some point. Rand said he was not sure what the next step from DOT will be, but he was hopeful that the project could be finalized and bid out this fall.

The plans are available at Town Hall. The public comment period closes Friday, Aug. 21.