Massachusetts Department of Transportation officials showed concepts for two potential redesigns for Kelley Square that would involve both a roundabout and traffic lights.



The two proposals were presented by traffic engineers as alternatives that can handle traffic flow as well as pedestrians and bicycles better than lights or a roundabout alone.

The two alternatives would require some modification to the direction of streets. In one, Millbury Street would be routed in the other direction, sending traffic away from the square as opposed to toward it, and the direction of Harding Street would be flipped as well. In the other, Millbury Street would remain in the same direction, but would be a right-turn only, and Harding Street would switch to a two-way.



In both proposals, an additional traffic light would be installed at the I-290 interchange, on the other side of the bridge from the existing light, but not Kelley Square itself.



Both concepts included many more and shorter pedestrian crossings, including new crossings that would provide a straight path through the middle of the square via the center of the roundabout, and a straight crossing from Millbury to Water Street.



Both ideas are just concepts, subject to change. After the presentation, the roughly 100 people in the room broke out into groups with facilitators and marked up maps of the proposals with comments and concerns. MassDOT intends to use the comments as traffic engineers there come up with a more formal design proposal.

Officials plan to take until the end of the year to come up with a plan, and then move to design then construction by fall, 2019. They hope to have the project completed by February, 2021.



Before presenting the proposals, MassDOT official Don Cook said he and his staff heard the feedback from the first design meeting loud and clear. The overwhelming message from people in the room was that Kelley Square should be changed as little as possible.



“Do what’s necessary but do as little as possible,” said Cook. “We tried to take that to heart a little bit moving forward.”



Councilor Khrystian King was the only Worcester official to speak at the meeting, and he largely reiterated the sentiment.



“I’m one of the councilors that have never felt that Kelley Square is broken,” said King. “It’s a great asset in terms of who we are as a city and it defines us in many ways.”



The next public meeting is Nov. 15.