Route 30 listening sessions set for May

The design phase for the Route 30 improvement project is well underway, and residents will have a chance to hear about the new developments next month.

Engineering firm Howard Stein Hudson and the Traffic and Sidewalk Committee will host listening sessions on May 12 and May 14. The 75% design plans will be presented, and attendees will have a chance to ask questions and share comments.

Jay Doyle, a member of the committee, said the project addresses a number of issues needed to improve the road.

“There’s many improvements needed to Route 30, such as drainage and intersection geometry that need to be improved for safety and additional pedestrian crossing. Most importantly, it needs pedestrian and bicyclist accommodation,” he said. “We have three major east-west routes in town and Route 30– only a third of it has sidewalks, which are in bad shape.”

The 3.7-mile project, which runs from Cutters Bluff Road to the Natick town line, has been several years in the making. Weston residents approved funding for design plans in 2018 and again in 2024. The approximately $18.5 million project is included in the 2028 Transportation Improvement Program, which means the Commonwealth will cover construction costs. According to Town Manager Leon Gaumond, residents may be asked to pay for easements at a future town meeting, but it is too early to say when or how much it will cost.

“If they need to expand in front of someone’s home for example … someone’s private property might be impacted on a temporary basis or a land-taking,” Gaumond said. “It is our obligation to offer compensation for the [foot or two of] easement. Some properties assume the front yard is all their property, but it might be part of the right of way. We won’t need to take that land, but for private property, we may need to take some of it.”

The design team has presented updates to the Traffic and Sidewalk Committee and hosted site walks throughout the development process. Some project changes came after resident feedback, according to the engineers.

On March 31, Bridget Myers, an engineer with Howard Stein Hudson, presented the latest plans for the almost 4-mile corridor.

The overall setup of the new road will feature two 11-foot-wide car lanes, 3-foot shoulders, a grass buffer and a 10-foot shared-use path that will predominantly run along the south side of the road. The layout will change as needed depending on wetlands or other factors.

Myers said her team had considered a number of options, including buffered bike lanes, but decided on this layout because it provided more protection between cyclists and drivers.

“When you’ve got a road like this with higher speeds, one of the most dangerous things is cars turning into bike lanes,” Myers said.

In areas with steep drop offs, she said that there will be timber rail fencing to protect cyclists and pedestrians.

Myers went through several other updates to the project, including a new emergency hybrid signal at Ash Street that will be activated by the fire station and pedestrians alike when they need to cross traffic.

Doyle told the Observer that the listening sessions will give residents a chance to comment on the nuances of a project that has been many years in the making.

“What we’re debating is the details on how to best configure it, how to reduce the number of trees that need to be removed, reduce the impact to stone walls and other significant features,” Doyle said. “We’re having these public meetings to get input on this draft of 75% so it can be the best project it can be.”