Sudbury Centre Intersection Improvement Project
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Historic Sudbury Town Centre is a largely residential district with many attractive historic, single-family structures joined by several important civic and religious institutions of outstanding historical, architectural and visual merit. The Town Centre intersection is also a point of concern in regards to traffic and pedestrian functionality and safety. Recognizing this, the Board of Selectmen established the Sudbury Centre Improvement Advisory Committee in 2005. The Committee’s primary responsibilities were to study and recommend options for improvement of the historic Sudbury Town Centre, including plan review, research of historically appropriate features, consensus building, and soliciting public input. The Committee has met regularly since 2005 in this pursuit.
In May of 2006, funded by the Sudbury Foundation, the Cecil Group, along with SEA Consultants and Public Archaeology Lab, hosted a visioning workshop for Sudbury residents. At this workshop, the team presented an overview of the existing conditions in the Centre, observations on the traffic and functionality issues to be resolved and opportunities to be realized in developing an intersection improvement plan. After the presentation, approximately 90 workshop attendees divided into work groups to identify issues in the study area and develop goals and objectives for the improvement effort.
A follow up meeting in September of 2006 solicited comments from interested residents on various design alternatives prepared by the consultant team based on comments received at the May public meeting, and from input by the Committee and residents.
In 2008, the consulting team produce the Sudbury Center Improvement Plan, Final Report March 2008 which provided a coherent direction for the treatment of the district. The improvement plan recommendations are focused on reducing congestion and strengthening the functional qualities of the roads, while not increasing traffic speed. They should improve pedestrian safety by clarifying pedestrian zones and better articulating crosswalks, while preserving the priceless visual character of the district. These concept plans were used as the basis for moving the project forward to engineering design and construction.
Utilizing funding appropriated at the 2007 Annual Town Meeting, the Town engaged an engineering firm in the construction design and engineering phase of the intersection, following the recommendations of the Committee and residents. The engineered plans properly align the north/south and east/west roads to make the intersection safer, including the installation of modern traffic lights and other improvements for better pedestrian use, stormwater management and historic preservation (Find Plans here doc 1 and doc 2).
With the approval of the ballot question for funding of the Town Center Intersection project at the 2013 Annual Town Meeting, the Town has finalized the engineering plans and will go out to bid in later this spring, with construction commencement anticipated to begin in the summer of 2014, with completion of the project in 2015. Further updates on the construction schedule will be posted once the contract is awarded.
Most recently the stone wall relocation portion of the project was approved by both the Planning Board and the Historic Districts Commission in early April of 2014. The wall relocation is being completed by Sudbury DPW.
To view minutes and meetings from the Sudbury Centre Improvement Advisory Committee please click here.