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MassDOT to install rapid‑flashing beacons and add lighting after Merrimack Street pedestrian fatality
Summary
After a pedestrian death on Merrimack Street, Methuen leaders met with MassDOT and secured commitments to install rectangular rapid flashing beacons at nine intersections and to add street lighting; the work is to be completed during this year’s construction season.
Mayor (Mayor, Methuen City) said the city convened an emergency meeting with Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials and state delegation members after a pedestrian fatality on Merrimack Street and that MassDOT “will be making significant, and I mean significant, pedestrian safety upgrades” along the corridor.
The upgrades MassDOT pledged include installing rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons at or near nine intersections on Merrimack Street and improvements to street lighting along the corridor. The mayor listed the intersections MassDOT identified for the beacons, including Merrimack Street at Riverdale Street, Derry Road, Meroline Avenue and Fry Road, Sorrento Avenue, Messina Avenue, Walton Avenue, Arcadia Street, Randolph Avenue and Farley Street, and Village Lane. He said MassDOT expects to finish the corridor work “by the end of this year’s construction season.”
Why it matters: Merrimack Street is under MassDOT jurisdiction, and councilors and residents have raised safety concerns about the corridor for years. The mayor said the city will continue to press the state for follow‑through and that city officials have asked to participate in regular coordination meetings with MassDOT so local priorities and scheduling can be tracked.
Council reaction and next steps: Councilor DeZaglio thanked the mayor for convening the meeting and urged that raised crosswalks and other traffic‑calming features be considered in addition to flashing beacons, especially near churches and farms where pedestrian crossings are frequent. The mayor said Chief McNamara and the city’s Director of Public Works will identify new streetlight locations and work with the city’s vendor to install them as part of the broader effort.
MassDOT’s timeline and local oversight: The mayor said MassDOT officials told the city they would complete the corridor upgrades within this construction season and that biweekly progress meetings are planned. The city intends to attend those meetings and to keep the council updated on implementation and any community impacts.
Community context: The mayor noted the corridor includes neighborhood landmarks such as Saint Lucie’s Parish and Bonanno Farm, locations councilors said are important pedestrian destinations. Residents concerned about lighting, crosswalk visibility and construction impacts were encouraged to follow updates from the city and MassDOT.
