Shorter crosswalks, corner plazas, new traffic light coming to Weymouth's Columbian Square

WEYMOUTH – Officials hope to break ground on improvements to one of the town's most dangerous intersections by this time next year, using about $7 million in federal COVID-19 relief money. 

Improvements to Columbian Square have long been on the town's to-do list and plans to upgrade an intersection that is dangerous for pedestrians and drivers are being completed.

The town will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7, in the MJL Humanities Center at Weymouth High School, 1 Wildcat Way, to update residents on the project and address questions or concerns. The meeting will also be streamed live through Zoom.

Mayor Robert Hedlund said improving Columbian Square has been a priority since he took office in 2016, and he equated a traffic solution to “bringing peace to the Balkans.” Now, the design for the project is finished and Hedlund said the town will use American Rescue Plan Act money to carry out the work.

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“We knew as we approached 100% design that we were making a commitment to complete the work, either through (federal funding) or different pots of money available,” he said.

The town last year received a state grant for $183,000 to complete preliminary design plans for a traffic signal at Pleasant, Union and Columbian streets and other improvements in Columbian Square, a commercial area off Route 18 near South Shore Hospital.

Green International Affiliates of Westford worked with the town to develop an improvement plan, which includes a traffic signal at the busy intersection.

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The plan also cuts the length of crosswalks at least in half and makes them more visible, adds a radar speed display, shifts parking spaces and adds four corner plazas with seating that could be used for public events or to make the square more appealing for visitors. 

As part of that work, Chauncy Street has already become a one-way street accessible from Pleasant Street and has new angled parking.

Chief of Staff Ted Langill said the project will cost about $7 million. He said the town will get $17.8 million in relief money directly from the government and about $11 million more from Norfolk County. 

Work to Columbian Square has long been on the town's priority list. The Cecil Group of Boston in 2008 prepared a traffic report and recommended a stoplight as the best solution to the traffic problems. Recommendations also included creating public space and extending sidewalks to make the square safer for vehicles and pedestrians.

In July 2017, the town council appropriated $20,000 in mitigation money from the Union Point development to hire Green International Affiliates to review and update the Cecil Group’s report.