SOUTH DEERFIELD — Aiming to prevent future crashes at the intersection of Greenfield Road (Routes 5 and 10), Mill Village Road and North Main Street, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is planning to install a roundabout.
At a virtual public hearing earlier this month, MassDOT engineer Harold Piligian told Deerfield residents that 18 crashes occurred at the intersection between 2018 and 2023, with seven involving cyclists, according to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The intersection falls within the top 5% of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) crash clusters in the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) area, Piligian said.
According to Deerfield Police Chief John Paciorek Jr., crashes have “diminished dramatically” since 2023 amid the closure of the North Main Street bridge over the railroad tracks.
“When the North Main Street ‘dry bridge’ reopens, the roundabout is a necessary public safety improvement to a critical intersection,” said Paciorek, who has provided feedback to MassDOT regarding the roundabout design.
Per the presentation, MassDOT plans to advertise the roundabout project to contractors in the spring of 2030 after putting the final touches on the design and filing the necessary permits. Once construction starts, the project is expected to take two years to complete.
The proposed single-lane roundabout would include four entry points for vehicles traveling on each intersecting roadway. The outside diameter of the roundabout would stretch 140 feet; the project area covers 812 feet of Greenfield Road and 665 feet along North Main Street and Mill Village Road. Because the intersection falls within state highway property, the roundabout will not impact any surrounding properties and, therefore, will not require any easements.
For cyclists and pedestrians, a crosswalk would cut across all three roadways. Deerfield resident David Ray asked if the engineering team had considered making the path more “bike-friendly” without requiring cyclists to dismount their bikes at the crosswalks. In response, MassDOT engineer Douglas White said experienced cyclists typically bike in the main traffic lane of roundabouts while those with less experience use the crosswalks, leaving cyclists with two options for traveling through the proposed roundabout.
The project would lead to 375 square feet of “permanent impact” to nearby wetlands and 3,430 square feet of “permanent impact” to riverfront areas, Piligian said. To address these effects, MassDOT plans to replicate these wetlands.
During construction, two-way traffic would continue during peak traffic hours and after work hours, but may narrow to one lane outside these hours. Later on in the construction process, drivers may experience slower speeds and gravel roads in the construction zone. No detours are planned.
The roughly $4.52 million roundabout project is part of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) with FRCOG, a “prioritized, multi-year program for the implementation of transportation improvement projects,” according to a description on the program’s website.
During the question-and-answer portion of the hearing, Deerfield Selectboard member Tim Hilchey asked if the North Main Street bridge repairs would be completed before construction of the roundabout. In response, Piligian said he anticipates the bridge repairs will be finished in the fall.
Deerfield resident Patricia Taylor described the intersection of Greenfield Road, North Main Street and Mill Village Road as “the most dangerous” when the bridge on North Main Street is open, especially at night, when the flow of traffic is “nothing short of treacherous.” She asked MassDOT if planning the roundabout project’s start closer to the reopening of the bridge would be possible.
In response, Project Manager Eric Nova said construction is planned for 2030, and he is unsure if moving up the date would be feasible.
Answering other questions from residents tuning into the virtual hearing, Piligian clarified that the roundabout would likely lead to slower speeds and require a “minimal amount of lighting.” According to Piligian, emergency vehicles, buses and farm vehicles would be able to travel through the roundabout.
Piligian added that he met with several South Deerfield farmers while drafting the roundabout design.
“Together, we came up with a nice design that won’t disrupt their equipment too much if it rides up on the truck apron,” Piligian said. “This design incorporates their concerns.”