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 two exit lanes. The consultant said hybrid beacons require vehicles to stop and are used where higher exiting speeds are possible. All pedestrian ramps will be upgraded to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

The team said the roundabout was selected after comparing six alternatives — two roundabout forms and four modernized signalized designs — using MassDOT’s federally recommended ICE (Intersection Control Evaluation) process, which compares expected crash costs and benefits. MassDOT staff said the roundabout is intended to improve safety and, in many cases, reduce queuing compared with the existing signal.

Officials described multimodal and operational changes tied to the design: two existing PVTA bus stops would be relocated or consolidated (Stop 440 would move to an accessible stop in front of Holyoke High School; Stop 436 would be consolidated with existing Stop 448 and upgraded to accessibility standards). The design also would remove seven on‑street parking spaces along Beach Street in front of the senior center to allow a safe taper from two lanes back to one lane.

Right-of-way and environmental impacts were a major focus. Shirley Scheiber of MassDOT’s right-of-way bureau said property owners’ rights “are protected under mass general laws, primarily chapter 79,” and flagged federal requirements tied to the Uniform Relocation/Real Property rules because the project receives federal funds. At the 25% stage the preliminary right-of-way drawings show a mix of fee takings, permanent easements and temporary easements; the presentation listed the preliminary counts as five fee takings, 13 permanent easements and 15 temporary easements (plans subject to change). Affected property owners are expected to be contacted by the City of Holyoke in the fall of 2026, the team said.

The design will affect a small portion of protected parkland abutting John Young Field (a softball field). Because that area is Article 97-protected open space in Massachusetts, the project team said it will need to develop mitigation measures in a later design phase; the 25% plan did not propose taking bleachers or the playing surface but did show acquiring an area at the corner of Resnick Boulevard and Beach Street for the roundabout and shared path. MassDOT staff said mitigation could include protecting or creating replacement parkland under Article 97 rules.

Other design details presented: a retaining wall is planned adjacent to the CVS property to fit the roundabout in the available slope; no buildings are proposed to be taken; the center island is shown as planted grass at 25% design but landscaping is to be decided in consultation with the city; and the largest design vehicle accommodated without using the mountable apron is a 72‑foot tractor‑trailer. The team said typical city vehicles — 40‑foot transit buses and fire ladder trucks — can make the turns without mounting the apron.

Schedule and funding: the team said design is expected to be complete in 2027, right-of-way outreach will begin in fall 2026, and construction would be advertised in the fall/winter of 2027 if all approvals are in place. Construction was projected to begin in fall 2027 and last two to three years, yielding an anticipated opening between 2029 and 2030. The project cost estimate given at the hearing was $6,800,000; MassDOT said the total does not include right-of-way acquisition costs. The project must be programmed in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program for the appropriate federal fiscal year for bidding and construction funding to proceed.

Residents and local officials raised operational and safety questions during the public comment period. Several speakers asked whether the roundabout would cause drivers to use parallel residential streets as cut-through routes and accelerate; MassDOT representatives said the ICE analysis shows the roundabout would generally reduce queuing and delay and that there is no evidence the roundabout would perform worse than the existing signal. Mayor Joshua Garcia noted neighborhood concerns and urged continued coordination between the city and MassDOT on potential traffic calming on side streets.

Speakers also asked about school crossing guards, emergency vehicle access and speeds. The design team said roundabout entry curvature is sized to target about 25 miles per hour entry speeds and that rectangular rapid-flashing beacons and the pedestrian hybrid beacon are intended to improve yields to pedestrians. The consultant asked that Holyoke first responders be familiarized with emergency procedures for operating through roundabouts so they can pass safely when needed.

Residents suggested adding physical separation between the shared-use path and the roadway (a grass buffer, fence or guardrail) near the sidewalk by Mackenzie Field; MassDOT said that adding barriers would require additional right-of-way and would affect the width of the shared-use path and will be evaluated in later design phases. The city engineer and mayor said they would investigate parallel measures, such as traffic-calming and stop-control changes on neighborhood streets, policing during construction and LED flashing stop signs already planned at nearby intersections.

Next steps: the MassDOT team said comments from the 25% hearing will be used to refine the design toward a 75% submission in 2026; environmental permits and additional right-of-way planning would follow. Written comments or the mailed comment sheet will be accepted and entered into the official hearing record within 10 days of the hearing, the project manager said.

Funding, right-of-way acquisition and Article 97 mitigation were the key outstanding implementation issues flagged by staff and residents; the team described those topics as part of ongoing design work rather than final commitments.

Ending: MassDOT and City of Holyoke staff encouraged residents to review the paper plans provided at the hearing or to make an appointment with the city engineer’s office to view the full drawings. Officials reiterated contact points for follow-up and reminded attendees the hearing transcript and the public comments will be part of the official record.