PEABODY — At the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s public hearing Wednesday evening, the public got to know a little more about the proposed Independence Greenway Extension Project.
The proposed extension would add 7,000 feet (1.3 miles) to the existing 5.3 miles, extending it past the North Shore Mall to the Warren Street Extension/Endicott Street intersection in central Peabody. The greenway is a portion of what will eventually be the Border to Boston Trail, a segment of the Florida to Maine East Coast Greenway.
The main goal of the extensions, as articulated by Project Manager Stephanie Upson, is to provide walkers and riders with the highest levels of safety and comfort. By connecting existing sections of the greenway, riders and walkers will make fewer traffic crossings. The implementation of Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons (RRFB) will make traffic crossing safer for pedestrians along the greenway, Upson said.
Due to the added safety features, at the Essex Center Drive and Northshore Road locations, at the Route 128 Underpass, southbound traffic will be limited to one lane. MassDOT said they expect a six-second or less delay per car.
At the Proctor Brook location of the greenway, three culverts, a bridge, and a boardwalk will allow for a dedicated path to connect to the Endicott Street extension. These stream crossings will prevent any redirection into private property. Any impacts to the vegetated wetlands will be assessed with an Early Environmental Checklist and Wetland Delineation Form.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2024 and end in the spring of 2025. MassDOT expects a conventional Design-Bid-Build construction process and anticipates minimal traffic interruption during the year-long construction.
Next steps include a 75 percent Design and Permit hearing in August, a final design in January of 2023, and project advertisement in the fall of 2023. Individuals whose property may be affected by the construction will be contacted, officials said.
Emma Fringuelli can be reached at [email protected].
