MassDOT presents 25% design for roundabout at Beach Street, Resnick Boulevard and West Franklin in Holyoke

Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials and their consultant presented a 25% design for a custom roundabout to replace the signalized intersection where Beach Street, Resnick Boulevard and West Franklin Street meet in Holyoke at an Aug. 2025 public hearing.

The hearing matters because MassDOT says the intersection was in the state’s top 200 crash-rate list in 2018 and carries an above-average rate of pedestrian crashes; the project is estimated at $6,800,000 and is expected to be 90% funded by the Federal Highway Administration with the remaining 10% by MassDOT. The design team said the project aims to reduce vehicle and pedestrian crashes, update the intersection to current design standards and improve connectivity to nearby schools, parks and transit.

Aaron Keegan, the design engineer with Boston O’Neil, said the design team is “happy to present the 25% design to you tonight,” and emphasized the project remains in design and will be refined based on public comments. MassDOT District 2 staff described a standard project development sequence that began in 2020 and included a road safety audit in 2021 and an Intersection Control Evaluation in 2023; the 25% design was approved in March 2025.

The preferred alternative presented is a custom-shaped roundabout sized to fit the irregular geometry of the intersection and to accommodate large vehicles. The design keeps two lanes on the northbound Resnick approach and adds two lanes on eastbound Beach Street approaching Sargent Street; the westbound Beach Street approach and West Franklin Street would be one lane in each direction. The roundabout includes a mountable truck apron for tractor-trailers, a grassed center island (landscaping to be finalized in later design phases) and 10‑foot shared-use paths around the circumference for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Pedestrian safety measures described include rectangular rapid-flashing beacons at three legs of the roundabout and a pedestrian hybrid beacon on the east (Beach Street) leg because that crossing spans more lanes and has…