It was never going to be easy to transform Northampton’s southern gateway and keep traffic flowing. But this two-year project to create a roundabout on Pleasant Street just north of the interstate may be surprising even the pessimists.
The Northampton Police Department put a fine point on the problem this week with a simple advisory: “Please avoid the area and I-91 exit 18.”
The thing is, that’s not so easy, given that Pleasant Street (Route 5) is the only route in or out of the city on the southeast side of town.
For those new to the area, here are ways to avoid the bottleneck: If you are coming north on I-91, continue on to Exit 19, then turn left on Bridge Street to head downtown. Southbound travelers hoping to avoid the bottleneck can jump on I-91 at Exit 19, use the highway to avoid the Pleasant Street mess.
Still others coming north might consider using Route 10 to approach the city through Easthampton. That may seem extreme, but delays of 45 minutes have been reported by drivers trying to get through the worksite at rush hours. Crews are on the job weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Backups have been common through the day.
The call to avoid the area is of little use to people heading for businesses here. We hope their patrons stay loyal to these local merchants. It’s not their fault.