Nahant police alert drivers to Causeway changes

NAHANT – Police are urging motorists to pay attention to changes in traffic patterns at the intersection of Wilson and Nahant roads.Police Lt. Thomas Hutton said the change in traffic flow has confused some area motorists. He explained motorists can enter the Dunkin’ Donuts and Tides parking lots from both Wilson Road and the Causeway, but exiting is a different matter.”Motorists can no longer make an immediate right onto Wilson Road from the front of the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot to head back into Nahant,” he said. “Vehicles need to go behind Dunkin Donuts to exit onto Wilson Road or loop through the Tides parking lot to exit onto the Causeway to head into Lynn. Vehicles turning onto the Causeway from the Tides cannot go inbound into Nahant.”Hutton said motorists should follow the arrows painted on the pavement and remain alert when leaving the parking lot.”There are a lot of pedestrians in that area,” he said. “We’ve also had problems with vehicles trying to exit through the entrance.”Hutton also reminded drivers the speed on the Nahant Causeway has been reduced dramatically to 25 mph for the entire length of the Causeway. Prior to the change, the speed limit was 35 mph on the Causeway entrance and exit and 45 mph in the center of the roadway.Hutton said the new speed limits are in place to ensure the safety of the general public, the construction workers and police officers doing details.”We don’t want to ticket anybody,” he said. “But it is a construction zone and safety is important. People need to slow down and allow a couple of extra minutes to get where they are going. If someone is driving 10 miles over the speed limit in a work zone the fine would be $200 so we’re asking drivers to slow down.”The $20 million construction project got underway last month. The seven-phase project is expected to take three years to complete.Hutton added area residents should be aware traffic patterns on the Nahant Causeway will be changing again within the next couple of weeks. According to the DCR, on Labor Day or shortly thereafter two lanes of traffic would be re-routed through the Nahant Beach Reservation parking lot.The second phase of the construction project is expected to get under way in the fall and continue through spring 2011. It includes repairing the seawall, removing the existing light poles on the harbor side of the Causeway, drainage and reconstruction of the southbound travel lanes.