Route 1 reconfiguration plan calls for overhaul of Revere’s Copeland Circle

REVERE – It has one of the highest accident rates in the state but Copeland Circle would be transformed from a high-speed rotary to a traditional highway ramp exchange under the state’s proposed Route 1 overhaul.Beginning in 2011, state highway officials propose rebuilding Route 1 between Copeland and its link with Route 99. The $90 million to $100 million project includes widening the highway from two to three lanes and reconfiguring its approaches and exits, most notably Copeland Circle and the Route 99 connection.Instead of connecting with Route 1 North in the high speed, left lane, 99 would loop around and enter in the northbound slow travel lane.The Lynn and Salem streets on ramps to Route 1 would also be realigned to improve safety.”Right now, you basically look in the rear-view mirror and bless yourself,” said Massachusetts Highway Department project manager John Fallon.The Route 1 upgrades represent a fraction of the work needed, according to a recently released study, to make Massachusetts roads safer.The report claims more than a third of the state’s roads are in fair or poor condition, costing the average Massachusetts driver an estimated $156 each year in repair costs, increased fuel consumption and tire wear according to the by the Washington, D.C. based non-profit group TRIP.The study claims Massachusetts’ highways are among the busiest in the nation, with traffic increasing 20 percent between 1990 and 2005 and expected to jump another 20 percent by 2025, the report said.On average, Massachusetts roads see 66 percent more traffic than the national average, placing the state fifth in the nation for daily traffic volume on major roads behind New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut and Hawaii.Route 1 between Copeland and Route 99 is seeing more traffic over the next several years as developer Roseland Properties completes work on its Overlook Ridge residential complex straddling Malden and Revere.Roseland plans to construct up to 3,000 apartments or condominiums in the complex with access to Route 1.Engineers want to reduce construction noise during the 3-year project by erecting walls between residential areas bordering Route 1 and the highway.Project planner Bruce Conklin said initial project plans indicate widening Route 1 will require partially or completely acquiring four residential and 14 commercial properties.The road repair study estimates the state needs to raise an additional $15 to $19 billion to repair and maintain its existing transportation infrastructure over the next two decades. It suggests the best way to close the gap is by hiking the gas tax by 11.5 cents and creating a new 5 cent per mile highway user fee on state highways.The gas tax hike alone could bring in an estimated $10.5 billion over the next two decades.