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KEY FACTS

Route 12 Improvements
  • The projects completion date is May 9th, 2009
  • The project’s work day will usually run from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
  • This project includes a lot of utility relocation and sewer work, some of which may happen during off-hours so businesses will not be cut off from their electricity, gas, etc.
  • This is not a progressive project that will start at one end of the work zone and gradually make improvements until reaching the other end.  The contractor is expected to skip around some. 
  • The federal government has provided nearly $4 million in "high priority project" funding to reduce traffic congestion and improve access on Route 12, in Fitchburg and Leominster.
  • The project design includes the installation of signalized intersections at State Street in Leominster, at Nichols and Battles Street on the Leominster/Fitchburg line, and at Benson Street, in Fitchburg.
  • This project also includes upgrading Route 12 from 2 to 4 lanes from a few hundred feet before State Street, in Leominster, to a few hundred feet past Benson Street, in Fitchburg.
  • Mass Highway has decided that there must be four lanes from State Street to Benson Street if lights are installed. If not, there will be traffic jams the distance of two football fields on Route 12 if you put in lights at these intersections without four lanes.
  • To reach this conclusion for the 4 lane section, Mass Highway notes that they looked at using the railroad tracks, three lanes, and two lanes with wide shoulders. All were discussed at public meetings and they were ruled out. This is what is required to be done in the area to be improved. Mass Highway will not fund a project that will not work.
  • Throughout the project area on Route 12, the existing public way is 50 feet wide. To construct this upgrade to 4 lanes, the public way will need to be expanded by just 9 feet.
  • In the 4 lane stretch , there are 35 property owners in Leominster and Fitchburg that will be impacted by this expansion, but there is only one building that will need to be taken, in Fitchburg.
  • This project also includes a significant upgrade to the Bemis Road/Route 12 intersection.
  • When the project is completed, curb cuts along the entire corridor will be consolidated to increase safety and the efficient flow of traffic in and out of local properties.
  • The Erdman Way & Bemis Road area on Route 12 can be accomplished with very minimul takings. In fact, the only building takings will be on Bemis Road, in Fitchburg, where three buildings will need to be removed to regrade and widen that intersection to improve safety and reduce congestion.
  • According to local police officials, there is NO evidence to suggest that there will be more accidents along a 4 lane road versus the current 2 lane road.
  • The program WILL be of great value to fire and ambulance personnel, in particular, who must travel Route 12 in emergency situations and to get patients to and from Health Alliance Hospital.
  • On average, there are nearly 23,000 vehicle trips per day on Route 12. This number results in significant inefficiencies and requires traffic mitigation to reduce congestion.
  • With just a 1.7% average growth rate for the population of Leominster and Fitchburg, there will be 32,000 cars on Route 12 every day by the year 2020!
  • In 2001, there were 225 accidents within the project area on Route 12 - - many of which resulted in personal injury and property damage.
  • The corridor is equally challenged by the lack of organized curb cuts and the multiple entrance and exit points from commercial and residential property throughout the corridor.
  • There are some property owners and residents along Route 12 who will oppose any changes to this road even though they agree traffic is congested at certain times of the day and that there are a number of accidents caused by careless drivers already.