Monday, April 2, 2018
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Mercy Medical Center President Mark Fulco announced the redesign of the Carew Street entrance to Mercy, which will include new traffic signalization. They were joined by City Engineers Matt Sokop and Luca Mineo. The announcement was made during a press conference at the intersection this morning.
Mayor Sarno stated, “This is another good example of my administration’s continued efforts to do public/private collaboration initiatives to enhance quality of public health and safety in our neighborhoods. This traffic light has been sorely needed for many years to give ‘peace of mind’ to all the patrons of Mercy Hospital and our Carew Street neighborhood area. I am so thankful to Mercy Medical Center President Mark Fulco’s leadership and partnership, along with our city’s team of DPW Director Chris Cignoli and CAFO TJ Plante to finally after all these years get this done.”
The project will cost approximately $1 million with construction expected to begin this spring. The intersection is being redesigned due to the growth of traffic along the Carew Street corridor and the growth of the Mercy Medical Center complex. The redesign will make the area safer for commuters and those visiting the medical center.
"Mercy Medical Center's commitment to providing a safe environment for our patients, their families and our colleagues extends beyond the walls of our facilities. This new traffic signal is an important upgrade that will safely and efficiently manage vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic at this busy intersection," said Mark Fulco, President, Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates. "We are grateful to the City of Springfield and Mayor Sarno for the partnership that makes this improvement possible."
Currently at the intersection is a flashing yellow signal for the north and southbound directions, and a flashing red signal for the east and westbound directions. No lane in any direction is designated for a specific directional movement. Installing a traffic signal this intersection will improve safety for drivers attempting to turn left onto Carew Street by restricting movement in other directions through use of a red signal. Additionally, including a designated left-turn lane in the southbound direction on Carew Street, a designated right-turn lane in the westbound direction on Cass Street, and designated right-turn lane in the northbound direction on Carew Street, in the proposed redesigned intersection, is expected to provide the best operations for drivers using this intersection.
“I am excited that we have been able to partner with Mercy Hospital to address a dangerous intersection. Traffic along Carew Street and patients entering and exiting the Mercy Medical Center complex will now be much safer,” said Chris Cignoli, Director of the Springfield Department of Public Works.