Major changes underway to boost safety at Main and Walden intersection
The updates come after a series of collisions and near-misses involving pedestrians.
Major changes are underway at one of downtown Acton’s busiest intersections after a series of collisions and near-misses involving pedestrians.
Once the traffic cones are cleared and construction is complete at Main and Walden Streets in early to mid-September, officials expect a safer setup for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.
“It’s an intersection that is very busy not only to traffic, but to pedestrians, and you do see bicycle traffic trying to maneuver the intersection — sometimes with difficulty,” Town Engineer Steve Dookran told The Acton Bridge.
“We want to help with those operations, and the way we believe that will happen is if we can slow vehicles down with bump-outs and also make the intersection more visible.”
Of the 20 Acton roadway crashes from 2019 to 2023, 13 were in or around downtown intersections.
Walden and Main saw five pedestrian-involved crashes during that time.
Bump-outs
Improvements at the intersection will improve traffic flow in and out of Acton Center, Dookran said.
The intersection redesign involves creating bump-outs, which are areas where raised sidewalks are extended into the roadway. They’re designed to slow traffic, shorten pedestrian crossings, and improve the sightlines of pedestrians and motorists.
The plan includes two raised sidewalk extensions at the corners of Main and Walden Streets as well as a larger bump-out on the north side of Main Street across from Walden Street.
“We are bringing the curb line out and bringing pedestrians out where they are protected by the curb,” Dookran said.
Senior Public Works Engineer Joseph Cormier, who is managing the project, said other improvements include drainage work and repairs, removing and resetting granite curbing, and repairing existing concrete sidewalks.
The town is also installing tree wells, raised cobble features, and enhanced crosswalk striping.
The state Department of Transportation is covering 85 percent of the $230,000 project cost.
A roughly $198,000 grant is the first from MassDOT’s Shared Streets and Spaces program to go to one of several downtown intersections flagged for potential redesign due to congestion.
The town is covering the rest of the cost with pandemic-era American Rescue Plan Act funds.
