Public meeting hears plan for two-year intersection overhaul in North Attleboro

An unidentified speaker at a public meeting described a planned two-year project to reconfigure a busy North Attleboro intersection, saying it will add three turning lanes on each approach and “dramatically increase” how many cars can clear the light each cycle.

The speaker said, “Help is on the way,” and described the work as a two-year effort expected to provide three turning lanes on all four sides of the intersection. According to the speaker, the extra lanes will increase the proximity of queued vehicles to the signal and allow more cars to pass safely on each light change.

The speaker said officials have met with abutters in nearby Plainville about consolidating entrances and exits to reduce curb cuts and conflict points. “We’ve talked to all of the abutters to that intersection about the entrances and exits from their locations just to see if we can try to bring them down to fewer so there’s less risk of cars going in and out,” the speaker said.

The speaker also warned that traffic collisions could erase the project’s benefits: when crashes stop traffic, “all that good work and all that money spent” can be undone. The speaker additionally said “some land takings that are necessary in that area” may be required to complete the redesign, without specifying parcels, owners, or a procurement or eminent-domain process.

Finally, the speaker noted a large apartment complex under construction in North Attleboro and said its size will add traffic at the intersection, increasing the need for improvements. The transcript does not specify a construction schedule, funding sources, formal approvals required, or which municipal body is advancing the project. No votes or formal motions were recorded in the provided transcript.