Four-way stop proposed for Surfside intersection
BY PETER B. BRACE
If the Board of Selectmen agrees, there will be a four-way traffic stop at the intersection of Fairgrounds, South Shore and Surfside roads this winter on a trial basis.

After several bad accidents at the intersection last summer - an average of four occur annually - the town asked Transportation Planner Michael Burns to look at the ramifications of turning the two-way stop into a four-way.

"About a year ago, we had gotten a petition from a number of residents along South Shore Road requesting this and, as you know, there is development [in that area] with the 40B and Sherburne Commons," said Town Administrator Libby Gibson.

Burns said that because of the high volume of traffic heading out to Surfside Beach during the summer, the planned Beach Plum and Abrem Quary 40B subdivisions, the Sherburne Commons assisted-living project, and the Fairgrounds Road bike path crossing over onto Surfside Road, a four-way stop makes sense.

"There's really starting to be a need to address that intersection from a safety standpoint and from a traffic standpoint," Burns said.

The recommendation is on tonight's selectmen's agenda, along with a conceptual proposal for construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Fairgrounds Road and Old South Road. Though Gibson is going to present both these potential intersection changes to the board tonight, she is only seeking action on the proposed four-way stop for Fairgrounds, South Shore and Surfside roads.

"The traffic study recommends it," she said. "In light of development going on along South Shore Road, and in light of the speed of traffic on Surfside Road, it makes sense to me. It's a much more natural spot for a stop sign than the Old South Road stop sign (located at Lovers Lane)."

Burns said the Fairgrounds Road/Old South Road roundabout would probably not happen until the town has developed its 19.8 acres at 2 Fairgrounds Road.

"Right now, we know there's a lot of congestion along Old South Road, and given the bike path crossing at Old South Road, we wanted to see what we could do to improve the intersection," he said.

If the selectmen are in favor of testing the waters of a four-way stop at the intersection of Fairgrounds, South Shore and Surfside roads, Gibson said the signs would be installed but would be covered, and a police officer would work the intersection until drivers got used to stopping there. Should the four-way stop work, the signs would be uncovered and remain in place permanently, Gibson said.

Burns added that should the fourway stop be implemented for good, anticipated delays for southbound traffic on Surfside Road at the intersection would be 20 to 30 seconds. The engineering firm Burns hired to study both intersections, Greenman- Pedersen, Inc. (GPI), of Stoneham, Mass. said this is the best way to ease congestion and traffic safety issues at this intersection and estimated its cost at approximately $1,500.

"This would reduce delay along the Fairgrounds Road approaches and reduce travel speeds through intersections lessening the potential for serious crashes," GPI said in its report conclusions.

The selectmen tackle these intersection alternatives at their meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the Town &

County Building at 16 Broad St. I