Communities rally to unite against I-93/95 Interchange plan
Published on June 26th, 2002
READING, MA - Approximately 700 concerned Reading residents filled the auditorium at Parker Middle School on Monday, June 24 to voice their concerns, observations and beliefs regarding the Massachusetts Highway Department's (MassHighway) Route 93/95 Interchange plan that will swallow 77 Reading homes and replace them with a three-or four-tier flyover superstructure 75 feet in the air.
This project, which has been deemed by MassHighway as second only in size and scope to the Big Dig, will also directly affect the communities of Stoneham, Woburn, Wakefield, Winchester, Burlington and Lynnfield.
Selectman Matthew Cummings stated that all the above communities need to become a United force, a united front around one common theme."
The purpose of the interReading meeting was to collect and organize public input in order to create one unified voice on July 16 when Reading citizens will have a chance to meet with MassHighway officials.
This all stemmed from an informational meeting Mass-Highway held in Stoneham for its residents at the High School on June 4 when they first unveiled the giant footprint of the proposed plan.
When Reading official first learned of MassHighway's feasibility study on the Route 95/93 Interchange back in November, the idea was on a much smaller scale, according to Cummings.'
The project's magnitude involving the cloverleaf 'exploded' in the past couple of weeks he stated.
Selectman Rick Schubert stated that MassHighway withheld information from them until this point.
“MassHighway did a great job keeping this under the radar. Let's all work together to kill this thing," said one member of the audience.
A Redgate Lane Reading resident gave three possible options for fighting this project:
•Get the governor to declare a 'moratorium,' or suspension of activity. There was a precedent set in 1962 when MassHighway had huge plans to build superhighways through the Boston area with similar type designs as this proposed project. The governor declared a 'moratorium' and the work was never started.
He called for everyone to 'push this up to the governor's office.'
•Get the Federal Government to actively participate in the study. He stated that not all the money to fund this project is coming from MassHighway but the Federal Government has a stake in it also. Informing them of the ramifications this project will create for the seven communities involved might a make all the difference.
•Get an advocate for the communities that knows how to beat MassHighway. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) for instance, has specific expertise going up against MassHighway.
Thomas Ryan of the Board of Assessors stated that if the 77 homes are taken, it will cost the remaining residents of the town 'just under 10 cents a day' to make up for the lost tax revenue.
Reading Citizen Maryanne Downing spoke of instances where MassHighway's project plans were stopped by the communities of Weymouth and Worcester. They fought for three years but eventually won.
"This is big enough. We can do it, she said.
One woman wanted answers from MassHighway about the 75-foot-high flyovers. Exactly how they will shovel snow, deal with accidents, hazardous material spills, litter that makes its way to the ground and the fumes from motor vehicles.
Leslie McGonagle, business owner in Reading and Woburn, presented a solution that would not sacrifice a single house:
"Use the Commerce Way off ramp to access Route 128/95 as was the original intent of that off ramp. have fly overs run on top of the current roadways so businesses and residents are not disturbed. You can have access to Route 128/95 either down Commerce Way or follow the current road around Mishawam and then access Route 128/95 near the bridge using the former Logan Express area parking lot to facilitate the traffic.
"Close the exit only 37B ramp to traffic going West off of Route 93 heading North. A11 the traffic desiring to west on Route 128/95 will exit at the Commerce Way ramps as revised above. It means a couple of additional miles of travel - but it will be less time, less traffic tie ups as the traffic will move. Plus, the merging of incoming traffic from the on ramps will NOT be hampered by those desiring to exit off."
Selectman George Hines said, “Don't doubt that we can stop it. We can. We will."
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