MassDOT To Study Interchange
State transportation officials plan to hire a consultant to study the need for improvements to the intersection of Interstates 290 and 495 in Marlborough, but the officials said placing the project back on a priority list for construction may not happen until at least 2011.
Officials with the Massachusetts Highway Department and state Depart-ment of Transportation, including Secre-tary Jeffrey Mullan, met in Westborough Dec. 29 with U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-Worcester, local elected officials and members of the 495/MetroWest Partnership to discuss the importance of the project. The Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization removed the project from its 20-year regional transportation plan earlier this year, meaning that the project no longer qualifies for federal funds. However, legislative leaders and McGovern said the project is a priority for the region.
“If there’s going to be an economic resurgence, and we believe there will be, this area will be key,” McGovern said. “But quite frankly, we need to address some of these transportation issues now.”
The project is estimated to cost about $100 million, and David Mohler, executive director of MassDOT Planning said the Boston MPO is not scheduled to update the 20-year plan until 2011. For the list to be updated earlier, funding would have to be identified or MPO officials would have to remove another project from the list.
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