By Joe Stewart

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will hold a public hearing in Wrentham on October 14 to present a proposal aimed at improving safety at the crash-prone intersection of North and Winter Streets and Route 1A. The design hearing concerns a plan to install a new traffic control signal at the intersection. The project is currently at the 25% design phase.

The project was initiated in December 2019 following a road safety audit conducted with the Town of Wrentham. The process has advanced through several stages, including an alternatives analysis in November 2021 and an intersection control evaluation in June 2022. The 25% design was submitted to MassDOT in August.

In addition to the traffic signal, the proposal includes infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists:

• Along Route 1A, the plan calls for the installation of 5-foot-wide sidewalks and 5-foot-wide on-street bicycle lanes that will include a 3-foot buffer from vehicular traffic.

• For North Street and Winter Street, the proposal is to construct six-foot-wide, one-way shared-use paths in each direction.

Acquisition of right-of-way from private or public landowners may be necessary and MassDOT’s policy concerning land acquisitions will be presented at the hearing.

In an email exchange with John Goggin, MassDOT Communications, Goggin explained that the project is expected to reach the 75% design stage in the spring of 2026 and is programmed for funding in the Federal Fiscal Year 2028, with construction expected to begin by the end of 2028.

The hearing will serve as a formal opportunity for the public to review the plans and provide feedback. According to the public notice, “All views and comments submitted in response to the hearing will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible.”

The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14 at 6 p.m. in the Joseph F. Botaish, II Conference Room in Town Hall.