Message from the Mayor: Steps Being Taken to Improve North Street Traffic

Kim Driscoll

September 12, 2008 05:39 am

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The following message from the mayor has been sent to all Salem residents, but is offered here for those living outside the city who regularly commute in and out of the city.

I am writing to you in connection with the ongoing work on Route 114, also known as North Street in Salem.

As you are likely aware, there have been considerable delays on North Street the last several weeks due to a combination of factors, namely construction activity at the intersection of North and Federal related to the construction of the new Salem courthouse complex, as well as the introduction of a new signal at North and Mason streets that is part of the North Street Enhancement Project. Add to that mix, the newly opened Bypass Road, which also has altered nearby traffic patterns, and you end up with a great deal of congestion.

While we are excited about all of these projects, they have resulted in some growing pains and I am writing to ask for your patience as we work with state officials to mitigate traffic impacts in and around the North Street corridor.

North and Federal Intersection

First, we have met with state officials and have advised them to alter their paving schedule to avoid commuting hours. As a result, the last round of paving in this area which is scheduled for Sept. 20-22, will take place at night from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. In addition, all roadway work at this intersection is expected to be completed by Oct. 1, as a way to avoid further disruption during the busy fall tourist season.

North and Mason Intersection

Given the construction activity nearby, we have asked state officials to alter this signal to a flashing yellow status for the North Street travel lane (flashing red for Mason Street) until the current construction is completed. The sequencing of this signal is programmed to work with the other signals on North Street, but until construction is completed it is next to impossible for this signal to be programmed adequately. Pedestrians crossing North Street will still be able to activate a red walk light, but other than that, the request is for the signal to remain flashing yellow.

Courthouse Complex Project

Once the roadway work is completed at North and Federal, state officials will commence excavation and site work in preparation for moving the First Baptist Church to the corner of North and Federal streets. The church move will likely take place in mid-November, followed by a January/February timeline for erecting steel at the site of the new court complex.

We have also ensured that the section of North Street from Federal to Essex will remain four lanes post-construction, thus avoiding a bottleneck on the inbound lane.

I am truly sorry for any inconvenience caused by these unavoidable traffic delays. Please know that we are working as expeditiously as possible with state officials, including Rep. John Keenan and Sen. Fred Berry, to mitigate these circumstances to the extent possible.

I appreciate your cooperation and invite you to contact me if you have questions, concerns or suggestions on how best to work on this issue.

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Kim Driscoll is in her first term as mayor of Salem.

 

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