Office of Representative Hannah E. Kane
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
For Immediate Release
Contact: Anna Darrow, 617-722-2810, Anna.Darrow@mahouse.gov
June 1, 2020
$15.4M Shrewsbury Route 20 Project Approved by MassDOT
Rep. Kane and Town Officials Sought Project Funding
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently approved a $15.4 million project to address safety concerns on the Route 20 corridor in Shrewsbury and decreased the speed limit on a 3-mile portion of Route 20 based on a completed speed limit study.
The Shrewsbury Route 20 Corridor Study was completed in January 2020 and aims to address concerns of town officials and the community relative to safety and congestion along the corridor. The study was undertaken at the request of Representative Kane and town officials and provides a preferred roadway improvement concept that will meet current and future demands on the 5.1-mile stretch of roadway over the next 20 years. The plan takes into account expected new development projects as the area transitions to a more mixed-use environment while also improving intersection and corridor safety.
“I am grateful that MassDOT has prioritized and approved this critically-needed project and thankful for the work of Shrewsbury town officials in partnering to advocate for improvements to the Route 20 corridor. Completing the Corridor Study and implementing the recommendations has been and will continue to be a priority for me,” remarked Representative Kane.
The $15.4 million project includes improvements along the eastern section of Route 20, from the Valente Drive intersection to the South Street intersection. The approval of this project means MassDOT can now hire a consultant to undertake the design of the roadway improvements, using the recommendations made in the Route 20 Master Plan as a baseline. The proposed improvements include pavement rehabilitation and box widening, reconstruction of the existing signal at South Street, construction of a new signal at Valente Drive with construction of an access road from Walnut Street, construction of a shared-use path on both sides of Route 20, and other related work. Funding for the project is yet to be identified.
“We are very fortunate that Rep. Kane successfully advocated for these much-needed road improvements in this very active traffic corridor. We appreciate Barry Lorion, MassDOT District 3 Highway Director, for making this section of Route 20 a priority.” said Maurice DePalo, Chairman of the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen.
“The Town of Shrewsbury appreciates the advocacy by Representative Kane to study the Route 20 corridor through a partnership with MassDOT. The amount of feedback received throughout the master planning process was an excellent example of the community coming together to achieve a common vision. We are grateful for the project that was approved to start the next phase of the effort that follows a very comprehensive master planning process,” remarked Kristen Las, Shrewsbury Assistant Town Manager.
To address safety concerns and the prevalence of crashes, MassDOT also conducted a speed study to gain a better understanding of what the most appropriate speed limit is on this section of Route 20. Based on the evaluation, which included recording the speeds of hundreds of vehicles, MassDOT concluded the speed limit of the eastern 3-mile section of Route 20 can be reduced from 50 MPH to 45 MPH. The remaining section of Route 20 in Shrewsbury to the west is currently posted at 40 MPH and will remain 40 MPH. The signage was changed effective May 26th to reflect the speed limit change.
The MassDOT Project Development Section expects to have a better idea of the design schedule for the project by the fall of 2020 and will begin the survey work of Route 20 over the summer months.
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