Town of Dover Public Works Receives MassDOT Local Bottleneck Reduction Grant

The traffic signal at the intersection of Centre Street, Springdale Avenue and Walpole Street will be evaluated through a state grant providing a maximum allowance of $500,000 as part of the state’s Local Bottleneck Reduction Program through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. (Courtesy Town of Dover)

DOVER — Town Administrator Michael Blanchard and Director of Public Works Kevin McCabe are pleased to share that the Town of Dover recently received a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) as part of the state’s Local Bottleneck Reduction Program to evaluate the traffic signal at the intersection of Centre Street, Springdale Avenue and Walpole Street.

The state grant includes $205,236 for redesign and permitting of the intersection. This grant also provides additional construction allowance of up to $500,000 to implement proposed improvements.

The state’s Local Bottleneck Reduction Program seeks to fund innovative solutions to modernize traffic signals and address congestion bottlenecks on local roadways to improve traffic flow. The intersection of Centre Street, Springdale Avenue and Walpole Street is the only signalized intersection in Dover.

The engineering consultant that will be undertaking the project for the town is the Lawrence-based TEC, Inc. The company submitted a scope of work as part of the grant approval process.

The project involves potential improvements, including lane re-striping, parking stall changes, and new traffic signal installation. Traffic data will be collected from the intersection and up to two nearby sites for 12 hours on a weekday. The data will be analyzed for operational capacity and queuing before assessing phasing and timing options.

TEC will propose intersection improvements and traffic signal modifications for review by the Dover Board of Selectmen. Upon approval, TEC will create a detailed design for the upgrades. Once the plan is finalized, including all necessary specifications, it will be put out for construction bidding.

The timeline for the project anticipates a bidding process to take place in May next year, with construction beginning during the summer of 2026 if the project is fully funded.

Town Administrator Michael Blanchard and Director of Public Works Kevin McCabe thanked the DOT for approving the grant, explaining that the traffic signal redesign will help improve the lives of the citizens of Dover.

“We’re all very grateful that the DOT approved the Town’s grant submission and was willing to provide this funding for such an important project, which will improve the infrastructure of our community and help reduce the bottlenecking of traffic at this intersection,” Director McCabe said.

“I’d like to thank the DOT for providing this grant funding for this important project,” said Town Administrator Blanchard. “This project is going to have a direct impact on the everyday lives on the people of Dover. We’re grateful that we were able to obtain this funding to improve traffic flow at this key intersection in town.”

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