Route 21 (Center Street) Corridor Improvements

BETA provided design and permitting services to the Town of Ludlow for roadway and traffic signal improvements for approximately ¾ of a mile of Center Street, a two-lane arterial that provides access to Interchange 7 on the Massachusetts Turnpike. A portion of the roadway within the project limits is part of the National Highway System (NHS). The corridor carries approximately 18,000 vehicles per day through a primarily commercial area with some residential and recreational mix. The goal of the project was to address the lack of ADA compliant walks and wheelchair ramps throughout the corridor, and the crash rates at the intersections of Center Street with the Massachusetts Turnpike Ramp and Cherry Street that exceeded the statewide averages.

The project was constructed by MassDOT with funds from the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The project includes pavement resurfacing and full-depth roadway widening with the installation of new sidewalk, curbing, and ADA compliant wheelchair ramps. A center turn lane was constructed in an effort to reduce rear end and left turning related crashes. Bicycle accommodation was provided by means of five-foot shoulders. Geometric improvements at the intersection of Sewall Street with Center Street improve upon the existing skewed approach and new traffic signals at two locations, including the intersection with Cherry Street and the Massachusetts Turnpike Ramp.

BETA assisted the Town at meetings with MassDOT District 2 and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) in order to schedule the project.