Underground pedestrian tunnel approved for Route 44 in Salisbury

SALISBURY – A proposal to build a pedestrian tunnel beneath Route 44 at the Salisbury School was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission April 6, a move that would allow students and community members safer and more efficient passage across the busy roadway.

The tunnel is meant to provide a permanent fix for what has been a documented safety issue at the crossing, which connects the private boarding school’s main campus with sports fields and access to Washinee Lake on the north side of the road. Speaking at Monday’s meeting, Salisbury School Associate Director of Facilities Dawn Marti said that there have been three incidents of vehicles hitting students or community members in the past several years.

She added that the tunnel will also improve traffic flow, since the large sports teams that need to cross the road to travel between athletic facilities and the campus will no longer hold up vehicles.

The 15-foot-wide, 9-foot-tall concrete culvert is planned to be installed just west of the current crosswalk across the roadway, and will run just under 90 feet in length.

Following a nod from the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission in late March and several reviews by the town engineer Tom Grimaldi, the April 6 unanimous approval marks the final town hurdle for the project.

Project engineer Robert Barneschi Jr., of WMC Consulting Engineers, told the Commission during Monday’s meeting that pending a final review by the state Department of Transportation, construction could begin as soon as mid-May and is expected to be completed within four to five months.

Construction is planned to take place in two phases. The first will involve excavation on the north side and is expected to have only a minor impact on the roadway. During the second phase, Barneschi said Route 44 will “shift to the north” for a short distance using temporary pavement and jersey barriers. The road is planned to remain open to two-way traffic throughout the construction process.