Route 18 Corridor Study - Final Report

The Old Colony Planning Council has concluded its work on the Route 18 Corridor Study. The study examines current and possible future traffic issues on Route 18 (North Bedford Street and Bedford Street) in East Bridgewater and Bridgewater with an emphasis on intersections including Higland Street, Compass/Signature Way, Union Street, Central Street/Maple Avenue, entrance/exit to East Bridgewater Jr/Sr High School, Whitman Street (Route 106), and East/West Street (Route 106). The study also includes recommendations for possible changes at these intersections and other parts of Route 18.

Route 18 in East Bridgewater is under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), not the Town and therefore any work on Route 18 must be authorized by MassDOT no matter the source of funding for the project. The agency has limited funding and while some projects such as Route 18 and Highland Street and Route 18 and East/West Streets are included in its project list, because of the length of that project list, it may be ten to fifteen years before those projects reach the construction stage. The Town plans to work with MassDOT to determine if incremental improvements can be that will improve access and safety for all users (motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians) of Route 18.