Union Avenue Roadway Improvements

BETA is providing design, permitting, and construction services to the City of Framingham for bicycle, pedestrian, and roadway improvements to approximately 1.4 miles of Union Avenue between Proctor Street and Main Street. Union Avenue is a two lane arterial that serves as a regional link between Route 9 and I-90 (Mass Turnpike) and downtown Framingham. The corridor is primarily residential in nature with some commercial use and carries approximately 19,000 vehicles per day. Other key land uses in and adjacent to the corridor include the Callahan Senior Center, Bowditch Field, Marian High School and Metrowest Hospital. There is a general lack of bicycle facilities and ADA compliant walks and wheelchair ramps throughout the corridor and the crash rates at the intersections of Lincoln Street/Union Avenue and Mt. Wayte Avenue/Union Avenue exceed the statewide averages. BETA conducted Road Safety Audits at these locations.

The project will be constructed by MassDOT with funds from the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and is consistent with MassDOT’s Healthy Transportation Policy and the City’s Complete Streets Policy. The project includes full-depth pavement reconstruction with the installation of new sidewalk and curbing and ADA compliant wheelchair ramps. Streetscape improvements including new period street lighting are also being incorporated into the design. Bicycle accommodation will be provided by means of 5-foot shoulders by repurposing existing roadway width including the removal of existing parking at some locations. Geometric improvements are proposed at Lincoln Street/Union Avenue and a roundabout is proposed at the intersection with Main Street, where a shared used path has been designed to separate bicycles from vehicular conflicts within the roundabout. New traffic signals are proposed at 2 locations and the existing traffic signal at Mt. Wayte Avenue will be reconstructed.

The design was closely coordinated with a major utility improvement project to upgrade water, sewer and storm drain systems within the Union Avenue corridor.