LAWRENCE HIGH SCHOOL TRAFFIC STUDY
Lawrence, Massachusetts


The City of Lawrence has outgrown its centrally located High School, and is making plans for a modern academy-study replacement to be located at Memorial Park, off Winthrop Avenue (route 144) in the southeastern sector of the City. The new school will eventually accommodate 3000 students and 325 teachers. With the location being adjacent to a State Highway, and only one block from an interchange with Interstate Route 495, there were considerable concerns over traffic and safety from the onset of consideration of this proposal.

C & C Consulting Engineers was engaged to conduct a traffic study for the school, and to conceptualize corridor improvements on Winthrop Avenue to mitigate any impacts created by the new school. The study was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Executing Office of Environmental Affairs, since it would be used to support an Environmental Impact Report being prepared by others.

C & C Consulting Engineers was engaged to conduct a traffic study for the school, and to conceptualize corridor improvements on Winthrop Avenue to mitigate any impacts created by the new school. The study was conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Executing Office of Environmental Affairs, since it would be used to support an Environmental Impact Report being prepared by others.

With the model, numerous scenarios of development and mitigation strategies were tested and reported in the required study format. The studies revealed that the anticipated traffic problems at the interstate interchange would not materialize; however, capacity shortfalls were identified at several of the City-owned intersections. For these locations schematic plans were developed to show the nature of required improvements for full mitigation. These improvement ultimately involved reconstruction of the main egress route from the site, construction of one new signalized intersection and the upgrading of several other existing signalized intersections. A corridor concept plan for these improvements was prepared and submitted with the project’s Environmental Impact Statement. The anticipated cost of the improvements is between $300,000 to $500,000.

This study was completed in September of 2003.