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01/22/2019 03:00 PMShould the direction of Dan Vece Jr. Way be changed to better accommodate traffic flow in downtown Clinton? As part of a Jan. 10 presentation on the recommendations of the Route 81 Corridor Study, the possibility of making changes to the road were discussed.
The discussed plan included making a portion of the road a one-way southbound from Route One past Chester’s Barbecue to the Chips’ Pub III driveway. Currently, Dan Vece Jr. Way is a two-way road that forms a link between Route One and Commerce Street.
The suggestion of changing the direction of Dan Vece Jr. Way had more than a few residents upset at the idea. Selectman Carol Walter said when she heard the suggestion, she knew it was going to be an issue, since many residents use the street as an egress to bypass traffic.
Walter decided to discuss the idea with the town’s traffic authority, which is the Board of Police Commissioners.
“I went in armed with information,” Walter said.
As part of her research Walter said she made a post on Facebook seeking public input on the matter. Of the 88 people who responded, 86 were against the idea.
At the meeting, the Board of Police Commissioners decided that it would be best to wait on making any official recommendations until the new CVS that is being constructed on the corner of Hull Street and Route One is open. Police Chief Vincent DeMaio outlined some of the issues the traffic authority saw with the potential change.
“Unfortunately, CVS never came before the local traffic authority,” DeMaio said.
Aspects of the intersection of Route One, Dan Vece Jr. Way, and Hull Street that concerned DeMaio are traffic flow and poor sightlines on the corner. DeMaio said when turning left at the intersection, drivers need to wait for traffic ahead to clear, which leads to traffic queuing up, as the light at intersection is on a quick time cycle.
Per the blueprints of the CVS, the property will have entrances and exits on Hull Street and Route One, and a drive-through exiting on John Street Extension. At the Route 81 corridor study, Project Manager Francisco Gomes said he would not have chosen the CVS to be built at the site.
However, in doing further research, DeMaio said it was determined that the change to the road was not feasible.
“We’ve given it a lot though,” DeMaio said.
Issues that the traffic authority ran into included the fact that the town has no right of way through the Chips’ Pub III parking lot, and the state does not recognize Dan Vece Jr. Way as an official road.
“We’re going to talk to the state again once the CVS is open,” DeMaio said. “We’re working with the [Route} 81 study group to start looking ahead to make sure the roads are as safe as possible for cars and pedestrians.”
DeMaio stressed that no official decisions had been made, but ideas have been discussed as a way to proactively combat any potential issues.
DeMaio said that the traffic authority has a difficult job due to Clinton’s layout. Due to the height restrictions of bridges—in particular the railroad bridge that traverses Hull Street—trucks taller than 12 feet have a hard time getting north or south of Route 1. However, raising the bridge is not considered feasible, as Gomes pointed out that for every foot the bridge is raised, 1,000 feet of railroad track would need to be reworked. Gomes estimated the cost of such a project in the tens of millions of dollars. Additionally, DeMaio said that the bridge near the Indian River is very narrow, which can cause traffic to backup. DeMaio said that with increased commercial development, there is a potential for more traffic from cars, bicycles, and pedestrians.
“We don’t want to impact the small-town feel, but at the same time we need to make the roads as safe as possible,” DeMaio said.