WESTFIELD — The state Department of Transportation is holding a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to learn more about a project to improve the intersection of Servistar Industrial Way and Barnes Airport Drive on Southampton Road.
“It’s to improve traffic flow at the intersection, allowing the side streets to safely exit at peak hours,” said Aaron Keegan, a project manager with Fuss & O’Neill, during a short presentation during the City Council meeting on Thursday about the project, which is scheduled to begin construction in the spring of 2027.
The purpose of the project is to implement intersection improvements that are compatible with the recently relocated main security checkpoint and driveway to the Barnes Air National Guard base, which also provides access to Westfield-Barnes-Regional Airport, according to a letter from the engineering firm about the project.
At the meeting, which is being held at 7 p.m. on Feb. 25 in the Council Chambers of City Hall, MassDOT officials will describe the project and associated impacts while recording public input for consideration of the project’s design.
Keegan said the intersection will be rebuilt as a single-lane “peanut-shaped roundabout,” which is also called a dog bone or hourglass-shaped roundabout.
He added that MassDOT’s original idea was to use traffic signals at the intersection, but after studying it for a year, they decided it didn’t meet the criteria. He said MassDOT also found that Servistar Industrial Way and Barnes Airport Drive aren’t directly across from each other; instead, they offset.
Pedestrians and bicyclists will be accommodated via shared-use paths around the outside of the intersection, Keegan said.
A peanut roundabout operates the same as a traditional circular roundabout. Its shape is unique to minimize the roadway footprint and impacts to adjacent residential properties. The design also includes a mountable paving stone curb to accommodate larger vehicles like trucks or farm equipment.
The shape also forces vehicles to slow down by requiring constant steering turns, which improves safety over traditional intersections by reducing speeds below 30 miles per hour, according to MassDOT.
“It is another step in the process of assisting traffic flow by remodeling a dangerous intersection at Servicestar Way and Southampton Road, and the new entrance used by the Massachusetts Air National Guard Base,” said Mayor Michael McCabe about the project.
There are two examples in the commonwealth of a peanut roundabout: One in Cambridge at Inman Square and another at Kelly Square in Worcester.
There is also one planned for Chicopee at the intersection of Granby Road.
The project is expected to take up to three construction seasons to complete.
McCabe said motorists should expect delays during the construction phase.
The $8.9 million project is being funded through the state’s 2027 Transportation Improvement Program for the Pioneer Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization, which approves federally funded projects in Hampden and Hampshire counties.
Keegan said the federal government is covering 80% of the construction cost, and the state will cover the balance.
A secure right-of-way is necessary for this project, which Keegan said MassDOT will be negotiating with nearby property owners.
MassDOT’s policy concerning land acquisitions will be presented at the hearing.
To ensure its meetings are accessible, MassDOT reasonably provides transportation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, and auxiliary aids and services. To request those services, contact MassDOT’s chief diversity and civil rights officers at 857-368-8580 or email MassDOT.CivilRights@dot.mass.us.
Project inquiries may also be mailed to MassDOTProjectManagement@dot.mass.un. Any written statements can be submitted to Carrie A. Lavalle, P.E., chief engineer, MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116,
