Amherst, Massachusetts, is a bustling, yet quiet, town in the western portion of the state. When the town initiated a roadway realignment project to address traffic challenges in the community, it called upon CDM to provide comprehensive design services on the initiative. The project involves relocation of Route 116—an arterial roadway with significant pedestrian and bicycle traffic—and improvements to two major intersections.
In addition to a detailed traffic analysis, the design includes:
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Roadway and pavement design
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Traffic and environmental impact analyses
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Roundabout analysis, which integrated a dual roundabout solution
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Drainage system improvements
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Pedestrian and bicycle path design
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Utility relocation and upgrade
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Village concept planning
Throughout the course of the design process, which is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2007, CDM has interacted and coordinated with multiple stakeholders due to public interest in the project. Perhaps most noteworthy is the design charrette—the process by which project stakeholders work together to identify and resolve challenges, issues, and opportunities—that CDM conducted with staff from the town of Amherst and nearby Hampshire College, local business owners, MassHighway representatives, and residents. The multi-day process included technical education on the project, breaking out into stakeholder teams to discuss solutions, and presentation of proposed concepts. CDM team members then developed the most favorable concepts into more solid designs, which were then voted on in a follow-up meeting. This comprehensive process resulted in a design consensus among all attendees.