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Marlborough urges state to reconsider Route 124 stormwater, sidewalk project after omission from 10‑year plan
Summary
Town Administrator Ellen Smith told a GACIT hearing the town is asking the state to reinstate a Southwest Region Planning Commission priority project — stormwater repairs and a sidewalk on Route 124 — citing significant safety concerns; the comment period is open through Nov. 6, 2025.
Town Administrator Ellen Smith told the state’s Granite State Transportation Investment Committee (GACIT) on Nov. 4 that Marlborough is asking officials to reconsider excluding the town’s Route 124 stormwater and pedestrian safety project from the state’s 10‑year transportation plan.
Smith said the project — a priority of the Southwest Region Planning Commission — would repair inadequate stormwater infrastructure along Route 124 and add a sidewalk from McKinley Circle to Laurel Street to address pedestrian safety. "Asking that the state reconsider including this project in the 10‑year plan, as these are significant safety issues," Smith told the board, urging further review during the plan’s comment period.
The request follows regional planning submissions; Smith testified at the GACIT hearing in Peterborough and noted the statewide plan is currently overprogrammed. The public comment period for the 10‑year plan remained open until Nov. 6, 2025. Resident Drew Cullen told the board he has raised safety concerns about the corridor for years and suggested features on the library lawn contribute to hazardous conditions; Selectman Nelson responded that the statue predated prior state road realignments.
Why it matters: inclusion in the 10‑year plan is typically a prerequisite for state funding and design prioritization, so omission could delay stormwater repairs and pedestrian improvements that town officials contend affect daily safety for residents and school pedestrians.
Next steps: Town officials encouraged residents and stakeholders to submit comments to the state before the Nov. 6 deadline and said they will continue advocacy through the regional planning commission and GACIT processes.
