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Date: 7/20/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Reconfiguring a key intersection in West Springfield is expected to make a trip downtown more inviting for pedestrians while improving safety and efficiency for drivers.
That’s according to West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt. A roundabout — a type of rotary — is replacing the current T-shaped intersection of Elm Street and Westfield Street. The project has been budgeted for more than $3 million, but that cost is not finalized.
Reichelt says the town will start the project with a $1.3 million grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, with Chapter 90 funds — state aid to towns for road projects — paying for the rest.
“The Gaming Commission grant and the funds for construction have been a great incubator and a great accelerator for making this actually happen,” Reichelt said.
He said safety is a primary reason for the change, with new speed bumps being added on Elm Street by Garden Street and the Town Hall, as well as rapid flashing lights where pedestrians cross. According to Reichelt, replacing a traffic light and turning lanes with a rotary will also improve the traffic flow for drivers.
“At the same time, it’s a beautification project,” he added. “Downtown is nice, but we haven’t really invested in it in a while, so this will give us an opportunity to make it even nicer and to kind of focus on and build off of the investments that are made by the businesses.”
Those businesses include Majestic Theater, Westside Bar and Grill, and bNapoli. Reichelt says since he was elected mayor in 2015, the owner of bNapoli has been asking him to look at downtown and potential improvements like this one.
The restaurant’s interest is not in the rotary, but in the addition of sidewalk space along Elm Street near it. The street, currently two lanes in each direction with a parkland median between, will be reduced to one lane as it leads into the rotary, as no turning lanes are required. The reclaimed space will include picnic tables, benches, new lighting, more trees and added green space. Wider sidewalks could mean additional space for outdoor dining.
“To finally see it come to fruition after eight years of talking and planning for it is very exciting,” Reichelt said.
Reichelt expects construction to start by the end of July, with the project estimated to take 1½ to two years to be finished. There will be no road closures or detours during construction. There will also be no loss of on-street parking.
“There’s always concern about construction, the impacts on the neighbors and the community in the area,” Reichelt said. “We hope to have a good contractor in place that works with us and I do think overall, this project in the long term will greatly improve not only the traffic flow downtown but the overall look of our downtown and help to build off and create more success going forward.”