Above: The 495/MetroWest Partnership has created a website dedicated to their work on regional transportation issues. (Image from the website)
The 495/MetroWest Partnership has issued an update on the region’s “Top Ten Transportation Nightmares”.
According to the group, #7 on the list is the 495 and Route 9 interchange. (It’s listed as Westborough, but just feet from our town line.)
Issues blamed were continued growth and substandard design. This was said to result in safety issues, significant congestion and hindered development opportunities.
Topping the list at #1 is the Route 9 Corridor (ncluding Southborough). Causes such as inconsistency between communities are blamed for constant congestion. And the Commuter Rail also made the list, despite recent efforts by the MBTA to adjust the schedule based on community feedback.
So, why are is the Partnership sharing this news?
The group is promoting its intent to work towards improving area transportation.
The 495/MetroWest Partnership, a nonprofit economic development organization serving 34 communities, issued this list earlier this summer as it seeks to address regional needs through public-private collaboration.
They are also touting success in alleviating past traffic problems, including one in our town.
The 2004 list of identified Traffic Nightmares listed #6 as Route 9 at Central Street and Oak Hill Road in Southborough.
After the Partnership worked with the Governor’s office on transportation issues:
- MassDOT retimed the traffic lights to ease congestion as part of a corridor initiative.
- A lane was added to Oak Hill Road approach as part of Walgreens project in 2008, reducing the congestion at the intersection.
You can check out their dedicated website to the issue here.
At 5:30 am it would be nice if the slower drivers would WAKE UP and know that the right lane is available for slower traffic and NOT be driving 45mph right next to another car in the right lane driving 45mph. That’s my nightmare EVERY SINGLE MORNING.
Certainly inconsiderate left-lane drivers are a problem, but the article discusses the Route 9/495 interchange. I find that interchange frustrating in almost all directions.
Westbound on Route 9 is my most common route (as it would be for most of us who live in Southborough). The main issue, IMHO, is the traffic from Wendy’s, the Cumberland Farms Gas Station, and the no-tell Motel just prior to the intersection. I use the Cumberland Farms gas station from time-to-time and it’s interesting to watch from both perspectives the flow of traffic wanting to get out, or worse, trying to accelerate in the breakdown lane preventing traffic from making a proper exit from Route 9 onto 495 North. Even less fun when the breakdown lane then tries to continue to 495 South then realizing there’s no continuation of the lane…
In the opposite direction, there’s constant confusion as traffic exiting 495 North onto Route 9 east tries to immediately merge into the right lane of Route 9, rather than stay in the service lane which runs almost all the way to the Gulf. Honestly, I have no idea why it doesn’t run all the way to the Gulf which could better serve that Gas station. Better markings and perhaps an extended runoff of the ramp could fix that. I do feel for people trying to exit Washington Street and EMC, but it also seems that they really want to get into the left lane as soon as possible to make the U-turn at Crystal Pond Road.
As far as being ON 495, the signage southbound before 495 West is not clear – it gives you only 1/4 mile. The signage aside, the entrance and exit ramps are, like most interchanges in Massachusetts, horrifically short for today’s speeds. People don’t seem to understand simple merging – people exiting 495 seem to think they belong in the front of the on-bound traffic, when they should really be behind it since they’re decelerating.
Ah, the life of stress on Massachusetts roadways.
I know it’s not a major roadway, but we live off Framingham Road and the traffic congestion in the morning (going toward rt 30 and rt 9) and then in reverse at night is astounding. We’ve been here 10 years and each year it gets worse. It’s come to a point where I make every effort to not leave the house before 9am, and my husband has to leave 45 minutes earlier than he used to in order to get to work on time!