A state engineer agreed with consultants that traffic needs to calm down in South Berwick, but said he is not convinced a traffic light is necessarily the way to go in comparison to a roundabout.
“The signal may be a better option, but I think they need to explain how they got to that conclusion in more detail,” said transportation engineer Jeffrey Pulver of the state Office of Safety and Mobility in a letter to the town about the intersection of Portland and Main streets. The letter was reviewed by the Town Council at last week’s meeting.
A traffic study by Sebago Technics of South Portland, commissioned by the Town Council, included recommendations that the town install traffic lights at the Main Street intersections of both Dow Highway (Route 236) and Portland Street.
Pulver said the state is interested in how town residents feel about the proposed changes and the possible loss of parking spots downtown, noting that past attempts at changes downtown were met with resistance.
“Is the town welcoming these recommended changes?” he asked. “Are they making up for parking somewhere else, or accepting the loss to improve traffic operations?”
As far as a roundabout, Pulver said he did not think the analysis was adequate.
“It seems to me this option was written off too quickly,” he said.
Town Manager Tim Pellerin told the council a fuller exploration of roundabouts is needed before the traffic study will be considered complete by the state Department of Transportation and any federal funding sources. Sebago Technics said they will complete the study in the next few weeks at no additional cost to the town, Pellerin said.
