A plan to make safety improvements to the historic intersection that is home to the Congregational Church of Easton, Grieser’s Coffee & Market, the Easton Post Office and the old Staples Academy Building is moving forward, according to town officials familiar with the project.
Improvements to the intersection of Center Road and Route 136 (Westport Road) are outlined in a 2021 Road Safety Audit and based on a state Department of Transportation safety assessment of the intersection. The state DOT studied the area and found safety concerns for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling along the roadways.
The project includes the installation of crosswalks, ADA-compliant ramps, approximately 200 feet of connecting sidewalks and pavement striping, as well as relocating and installing new pedestrian warning signage.
A $140,000 DOT Community Connectivity Grant will pay for the project. No town money will be spent on the improvements and the design and construction oversight will be done by the town, according to town officials.
Justin Giorlando, Easton’s land use consultant whose department is overseeing the project, said the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Selectmen approved the work before the grant application was submitted.
“Our goal is to make the intersection safer for pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Giorlando.
The project needs additional approvals before work at the intersection can begin in late summer or early fall. The town’s Inland Wetlands Agency will have to issue a permit for any work to be completed within 100 feet of a wetland, and a state DOT encroachment permit will also be needed, according to Giorlando.
One significant phase of the project has already been completed. A thorough archaeological assessment survey was conducted and “determined the proposed safety improvements and sidewalk installation would not adversely impact any archaeological resources nor impede or disturb the visual appearance or integrity of the historic nature of one of Easton’s town centers,” according to the assessment survey report.
The town had the survey conducted because the State Historic Preservation Office was initially concerned that the pedestrian safety improvements might impact archaeological sites in the area that are recorded in state archives.
“It’s a modification of the intersection to make certain areas wider and safer,” said First Selectman David Bindelglass. “There is no [town] money involved. We will put the plan in place,” he said.
Copies of the safety audit and the archaeological assessment survey can also be accessed on the town’s website in its Land Use Planning Studies section.
