Middleton, Massachusetts, has lost a $2 million state grant that was intended to fund long-awaited safety improvements at one of the North Shore's most hazardous intersections. The funding was meant to support a major reconstruction of the Route 62 and Route 114 intersection in Middleton Square, which is plagued by congestion and accidents. However, the town failed to adopt required zoning under the MBTA Communities Act, leading state officials to deem it noncompliant.
The grant was awarded through the Healey-Driscoll administration's Community One Stop for Growth program and administered by the Executive Office of Economic Development. In its award letter, the EOED warned that no contract would be executed if the town remained noncompliant with Section 3A of Chapter 40A.
According to local officials, the Route 114 and Route 62 intersection is a high-crash location, ranking as one of the most challenging sections of the corridor. It carries nearly 25,000 vehicles daily and has been identified by MassDOT as a "Top 5% Intersection Crash Cluster" statewide for the 2018-2020 reporting period.
The funding was intended to support a major reconstruction project that would include widening the roadway, adding new traffic signals, drainage improvements, and updating pavement markings and signage. However, without the state grant, town officials say the housing development will still move forward, but without the traffic improvements that were meant to accompany it.
"This is probably one of the most dangerous intersections on the North Shore," said Select Board Chair Brian Cresta. "Failing to fix this known hazard intersection needlessly puts the nearly 25,000 vehicles that drive through town on a daily basis at risk."
Town Administrator Justin Sultzbach warned that new housing without infrastructure upgrades will worsen existing traffic and safety issues. "It's going to take a very difficult and dangerous intersection and inject 60 households worth of vehicles into it with no improvements," he said.
The town lacks the ability to fund the project on its own, particularly since the roadway is owned by MassDOT. Officials say there is no backup plan in place, which has raised concerns about public safety.
In a letter to Governor Maura Healey last February, the Select Board formally appealed for funding, warning that losing it would undermine both public safety and affordable housing goals.
The grant was awarded through the Healey-Driscoll administration's Community One Stop for Growth program and administered by the Executive Office of Economic Development. In its award letter, the EOED warned that no contract would be executed if the town remained noncompliant with Section 3A of Chapter 40A.
According to local officials, the Route 114 and Route 62 intersection is a high-crash location, ranking as one of the most challenging sections of the corridor. It carries nearly 25,000 vehicles daily and has been identified by MassDOT as a "Top 5% Intersection Crash Cluster" statewide for the 2018-2020 reporting period.
The funding was intended to support a major reconstruction project that would include widening the roadway, adding new traffic signals, drainage improvements, and updating pavement markings and signage. However, without the state grant, town officials say the housing development will still move forward, but without the traffic improvements that were meant to accompany it.
"This is probably one of the most dangerous intersections on the North Shore," said Select Board Chair Brian Cresta. "Failing to fix this known hazard intersection needlessly puts the nearly 25,000 vehicles that drive through town on a daily basis at risk."
Town Administrator Justin Sultzbach warned that new housing without infrastructure upgrades will worsen existing traffic and safety issues. "It's going to take a very difficult and dangerous intersection and inject 60 households worth of vehicles into it with no improvements," he said.
The town lacks the ability to fund the project on its own, particularly since the roadway is owned by MassDOT. Officials say there is no backup plan in place, which has raised concerns about public safety.
In a letter to Governor Maura Healey last February, the Select Board formally appealed for funding, warning that losing it would undermine both public safety and affordable housing goals.
, I mean, who wants to risk 25k cars a day on one intersection? 
It's crazy that they even went ahead with the development without fixing the road first. I feel so bad for the townspeople who have to deal with this every day, it's like they're playing a real-life video game where you're constantly dodging potential crashes 
. The governor and state officials need to step in here and help these people out. It's not just about public safety, it's also about making sure the town can afford to provide basic services. Can't we just fund infrastructure projects like this without having to worry about zoning regulations? 
Middleton's loss is a major blow... i mean who gets to decide on infrastructure upgrades? state officials seem pretty strict about zoning and stuff. 2 million bucks could've made a huge difference for the town. now they're stuck with new housing without traffic improvements which will just make things worse. it's not like massdot was gonna leave the project entirely either... massdot owns the roadway, so that'd be a whole other can of worms 
. I mean, can you even imagine driving through that every day? 
And to think those 25k+ vehicles are already having some serious safety issues... it's like, yeah, let's just make it worse 
. The housing development might move forward, but at what cost? I mean, who gets hurt when infrastructure falls apart? We're basically paving the way for more accidents and fatalities 
.
The thought of all those daily cars zooming by at 62 & 114 intersection without any improvements is giving me the heebie-jeebies 
At this point, someone needs to come up with a solid plan B (or C, or D...) and fast 
. I mean, what about the safety concerns? 25k cars a day is already a recipe for disaster! And to think they had no backup plan 
... it's just so frustrating! The governor's office should be all over this ASAP 
. It's like, I get it, mistakes happen, but this is literally a high-crash location with 25,000 cars zooming through every day! 
How can you not prioritize safety when it comes to that? The town is saying they'll still go ahead with the housing development, but without the traffic improvements... it's just gonna be a disaster waiting to happen 
. And now the town doesn't have a backup plan, which is super concerning for public safety 
it's just not fair to those 25,000 daily drivers who'll be putting their lives at risk every day... widened roadway, new traffic signals, drainage improvements... it was a game-changer for safety 
Anyone who drives through there daily knows it's already super congested and accident-prone. And now they're just going to have to deal with even more cars on the road 
. And now we're stuck with a safety nightmare without any major reconstruction project. What's next? They'll tell us it's all part of some bigger plan to increase traffic and make it harder for people to get around... or maybe it's just an excuse to push through more development without addressing the real issues 
. Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on this one... it feels like something's off 
. i feel bad for the town, they really need that grant to upgrade the infrastructure and make that intersection safer. now they'll have all these new residents coming in without any way to deal with the traffic and congestion...its gonna be a nightmare 
. The town can just figure out a way to manage it, like put in traffic circles or something 
. But, on the other hand, what's the point of having all that money for infrastructure if we're just gonna waste it because of a minor technicality? 
. And I'm not even sure if 25,000 vehicles daily is really that much, right? It's not like it's going to be some crazy traffic jam apocalypse 
... But at the same time, yeah, this intersection does seem super sketchy... Shouldn't we just find a way to make it work? 
I mean, who needs traffic signals and drainage improvements when you can build more houses right? 
I guess it's just another example of how infrastructure funding can get really tricky 
. This intersection is super hazardous, I mean, 25k cars a day? It's like a recipe for disaster! 
... the situation is only going to get worse.
... delaying the inevitable consequences of not fixing this mess. I wish they would take a step back and think about the bigger picture here 
... for the people who will be driving through that intersection in years to come.
Here's the breakdown of daily traffic numbers for Middleton:
Combined: 25,000 vehicles
ugh, cant believe this 
#Massachusetts #SafetyFirst