Town of Andover inviting community members to attend forum on Elm Square intersection study

ANDOVER, Mass — The Town of Andover is inviting community members to attend a public forum on the recently initiated traffic study of the Elm Square intersection.

The forum is on Thursday, June 8 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at WWI Memorial Auditorium at Doherty Middle School and will provide an opportunity for the community to learn about what the traffic study entails, its timeline, and factors that will be examined in the process.

Earlier in May, a 5-year-old girl was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer in Andover when she and another family member traversed the crosswalk on Elm Street with the “walk” sign showing. Sidney Olson was hit by a Sysco truck on her way to art class when her life was tragically brought to an end.

Police say there were no issues with the brakes of the truck that killed Olson, according to The Eagle-Tribune.

Funding for the Elm Square traffic study was approved on May 1 during the town meeting. Funding is usually not available until after July 1, but Town Manager Andrew Flanagan authorized funding to immediately become available after the tragic accident.

The study will follow traffic operations, intersection geometry, crash data, pedestrian and vehicular movement through the intersection, public comments, and other factors. The goal is to improve pedestrian safety and better accommodate multi-modal transportation in Elm Square.

Town officials have committed to ensuring that the Elm Square traffic study is guided by input from the community.

Attendees will have an opportunity to share their concerns related to the current state of the intersection and ideas for potential improvements.

For more information on the community forum, visit the link here.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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