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Route 44/41 project moving much more slowly than cars on the road

SALISBURY — Every so often the question of the intersection of routes 41 and 44 in Lakeville comes up at a meeting of the selectmen.

Memories fade, and the intersection has been in the discussion phase for a few years now. Here’s a refresher:

According to First Selectman Curtis Rand, several years ago a federal grant was obtained for what should be about an $800,000 project, split 80/20 between the grant funds and the town’s contribution.

“The town’s contibution can be ‘in kind,’� Rand said. “If there’s a part that the town crew can do, that would count�as “in kind� labor.

The state Department of Transportation administers the project, controls the money and has final word — because it’s a state highway.

The intersection has problems. There is a pedestrian crossing west of the blinking light near the firehouse that is not well known. Traffic coming from the direction of Millerton, down the hill, tends to be speedy, despite the flashing warning sign well before the approach to the intersection.

A motorist making a left from Route 41 near the filling station to proceed west on 44 has a tough time seeing if the coast is clear, in part because of the grade of the hill.

And the entire set-up has been known to flummox out-of-town drivers.

“The original thought was a roundabout, which was very quickly rejected because of cost, appearance and the grades� of the hill, Rand said.

The gist of the current plan “is to make what’s there a little better: more pedestrian-friendly crossings, traffic slowing measures.

“We’ll rebuild the sidewalk going up the north side, the stone wall on the south side, put in new plantings, and just make it look better.�

The DOT process takes as long as it takes, said Rand, who has met with agency staffers on two recent occasions. “They have all these different things they look at: archaeology, safety, pedestrian concerns, signs.�

“Fairly soon,� he continued guardedly, “we should have a proposal ready to go to the town for review.

“DOT has the last word, it’s a state highway, but any suggestions or objections will certainly be taken into account.�

Lakeville Journal

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