We are pleased to announce that the Village will be starting construction of the Richard J. Brown / Route 72 intersection this week!
This project will result in the construction of a signalized intersection at Route 72 and Richard J. Brown, with access to neighborhoods both north and south of Route 72.
- For traffic on Route 72, there will be dedicated through-lanes, left-turn lanes and right-turn lanes.
- For traffic on RJB, there will be dedicated left-turn lanes, and combination thru/right-turn lanes.
Work this week will include some basic saw-cutting and preliminary survey work. By the end of the week, residents can expect to see traffic-control measures going into place, in anticipation of work starting on the drainage culverts. Within the next 10 days, we anticipate seeing work commence on Route 72, with the widening of the south side of the road starting first.
The basic intersection improvements (pavement, curbing, etc.) should be completed by July/August. The final improvements (installation of the traffic signals) should be completed by roughly September. This intersection will be interconnected with the Reinking Road intersection, to allow the green-lights on Route 72 to be coordinated, which will enhance traffic flow through the region.
While the project is being constructed on a public highway, it is a locally-funded project, and the Village is bearing 100% of the cost of the intersection. The intersection was originally designed to be a 2-way stop intersection without a traffic signal, but based upon resident concerns and accident data at the intersection, the Village has funded the design and installation of the fully signalized intersection.
During the construction period, Richard J. Brown will be closed to traffic. Residents can utilize Wester Boulevard to head eastbound on Route 72, or can use Reinking Road for a full-access, signalized intersection. As a reminder, it is illegal to make a left turn from Wester Boulevard onto westbound Route 72, and is illegal to make a u-turn on Route 72 to reverse from eastbound to westbound. The Village will cite violators who engage in these maneuvers, as they are highly unsafe and pose a serious traffic hazard. The detour routes are available here.
We are aware that this will require a small detour to drive from the west side of Cambridge Lakes to Reinking Road. That detour is roughly one mile, and only takes a few minutes to complete. This minor inconvenience is necessary so that the RJB intersection can be fully constructed.
Longer term, when development occurs north of Route 72, the Village plans on improving the Wester Boulevard intersection to also make it a signalized, full intersection with left and right turning lanes. That improvement cannot be made until there is additional traffic volume that would justify an intersection improvement on the state highway.
We ask for our residents’ help in driving safely in the construction zones, and in keeping the work crews who are improving our neighborhood safe. Please slow down and be alert for construction traffic and changes in traffic patterns. Thank you!