Work wreaks havoc on traffic

By Tom Dalton
Staff writer

September 06, 2008 05:40 am

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SALEM — The end of summer and the construction of a new intersection combined this week to cause major traffic jams in the downtown.

Traffic was backed up for a mile yesterday on North Street (Route 114) as cars crawled over the North River overpass and through an intersection being built at the site of a proposed new state courthouse.

"We're getting a lot of citizen complaints," police Lt. Conrad Prosniewski said. "People are calling up and saying the new light cycles aren't working, or don't seem to be working. One guy — I could feel the heat coming through the telephone he was so angry."

Construction on a new intersection at North and Federal streets began several weeks ago, but its impact on traffic wasn't really tested until this week, officials said, when school opened and residents returned from summer vacations.

This is also the week that key renovations were being done, which required closing the only ramp to Bridge Street and digging up North Street to get ready for repaving.

When the ramp was closed, traffic — including trucks — was detoured down Federal Street and into the McIntire Historic District, a neighborhood where 200-year-old homes sit just feet from the sidewalk.

The truck traffic is "so damaging to the old wooden homes," said Jane Arlander, a neighbor and representative on a court traffic committee created by Mayor Kim Driscoll. "We had specifically asked that not be done."

While complaining about the one-day detour, Arlander said it is too early to make judgments about the intersection. That will have to wait, she said, until construction is completed.

Traffic flow should improve in a few weeks, a state agency said, once the traffic lights along North Street are coordinated. New light controls will be installed soon.

"The sequencing between the lights should improve when those go in toward the end of the month," said Kevin Flanigan, a spokesman for the Division of Capital Asset Management.

City officials met with traffic engineers yesterday and agreed on other changes to try to improve the flow of traffic. In a section of North Street between Federal and Essex, they plan to eliminate some street parking and shave a traffic island, according to Jason Silva, the chief aide to Mayor Kim Driscoll.

When the road is repaved on Sept. 19, 20 and 21, work will be done at night, Silva said.

The new intersection is being built for the $106 million J. Michael Ruane Judicial Center, which will be built at the corner of North and Federal streets.

The new state court will include superior, district, juvenile and housing courts.