Phase 2

The 25% hearing for phase 2 was held at City Hall in Leominster. By this time the uproar had pretty much died down. The hearing was sparsely attended. The plans showed the merging lanes at North Main and Erdman way being extended north to provide more space for south bound traffic to cue up for the signals and to allow more vehicles to get through the intersection north bound per light cycle. North Main was to get an additional lane so that there would be a dedicated left turn lane and two through lanes.

At the other end Water St would be expanded to 6 lanes, two through lanes in each direction and dedicated left and right turn lanes in each direction. On Bemis Rd the first three properties on were to be taken and the roadway raised to reduce the grade. Devlin Passway was to be closed at the Bemis Rd end and turned into a dead end street. The takings would permit Bemis Road to be realigned with Wanoosnoc Rd. As I recall Bemis was to have a left straight and right turn lane approaching Water St. The current turn off from Wanoonoc Rd to Rt 12 South would be eliminated and Wanoosnoc Rd would be changed to 4 lanes to through lanes with dedicated left and right turn lanes. South of Bemis and Wanoosnoc Rt 12 traffic would merge back into one lane each way north ot the intersection of Water and Abbott Ave. which would be turned into a 90 degree turn.

My comments on phase 2 were hand written and were mailed from Vermont while I was on vacation at her request an electronic copy was e-mailed to Tracy Wu at Mass Hwy on my return from vacation. Nearly three years later and with a projected start in 2007 Mass Hwy has yet to respond to the comments.