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Posted 3/20
As funding has become scarce for major transportation projects, finding low-cost methods for reducing congestion caused by bottlenecks has become a high priority. In this report, Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) staff summarize the results of the analyses and improvement alternatives considered in the federal fiscal year 2019 Low-Cost Improvements to Express-Highway Bottleneck Locations study. Staff begin by providing background information and the purpose of the study. Next, staff list the selected study locations (Interstate 93 [I-93] northbound between Exit 40 [Route 62] and Exit 41 [Route 125] in Wilmington and I-93 southbound at the end of the high-occupancy vehicle zipper lane in Quincy and Braintree), assess safety and operational problems, and discuss potential improvement strategies. In the final section of the report, staff present study recommendations. The results of this study provide the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division with the information and analyses necessary to start planning design and engineering efforts that will improve the two bottleneck locations. The study aligns with the MPO goals of reducing congestion and increasing safety on the region’s highway system. If the recommendations from the report are implemented, it should result in improvements on the freeways, such as increased traffic safety, more efficient traffic operations, and reduced congestion at bottlenecks.
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