PRESS RELEASE

CHICOPEE STUDIES MONTGOMERY, GRANBY, MCKINSTRY ROUNDABOUT DESIGN AS A SAFE 

SOLUTION TO TRAFFIC ISSUES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICOPEE – The City of Chicopee has engaged the firm of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) to study and design improvements to the intersections of Montgomery Street, Granby Road, and McKinstry Avenue.

In conjunction with the Chicopee Engineering Department, VHB has produced a roundabout concept as a solution to the intersection redesign. The roundabout itself is “peanut” shaped to account for the dual intersections and their physical separation.

A roundabout is a circular intersection where drivers travel counterclockwise around a center island. There are no traffic signals or stop signs in a roundabout. Drivers yield at each entrance to the traffic in the roundabout prior to entry and then exit at their desired street. It is also designed to accommodate vehicles of all sizes, including emergency vehicles, buses, and truck/trailer combinations.

Also included in the project are roadway improvements at the Big Y / BJ’s shopping plaza entrance and a second roundabout on Montgomery Street at the Mass Pike entrance (see attached aerial photo).

The design is currently in the early stages, and a conceptual design has been presented to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) that occurred on October 23, 2019. The design, approval, and funding schedule would set the roundabout construction to begin approximately in the calendar year 2025.

“This intersection has been a challenge for our city for some time, and this roundabout improvement concept may make this intersection less dangerous to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians, as well as alleviate some of the congestion,” said Mayor Richard J. Kos. “The make-up of the three roads created quite the design challenge for our team.”

There will be a future public meeting with the opportunity for public input.

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Vanasse, Hangen, Brustlin, Inc. Preliminary Concept