While still waiting for approval from the MBTA, Andover is ready to break ground to improve an infamous railroad crossing, known for tragedy and close calls over the last decade.
Since 2016, there have been 6 reported serious incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians at the Essex Street and Pearson Street railroad crossing in the heart of town.
In 2023, a man was killed by an Amtrak train while crossing the tracks.
In October, an elderly woman barely escaped a gruesome crash with a freight train that sent her car into a utility pole. She was hospitalized.
Two months later, another freight train clipped a vehicle at the five-way intersection.
“’The intersection,’ or ‘That intersection’, said Andover Town Manager Andrew Flanagan. “That’s how the crossing at Pearson and Essex is known as across town.”
Flanagan told Boston 25 that the gates and signals at the intersection are working properly, but they are now eyeing a project to begin this spring that would improve safety in the area.
In 2023, the town was granted a $3.3 million MassWorks grant to improve the Essex Street Corridor.
Flanagan said they’re still awaiting MBTA approval for the project to break ground.
Referencing their town-approved blueprint, he continued, “There’s clear delineation between where vehicles pass, where pedestrians can cross. It narrows the crossing distance between roads. It clearly defines the intersection so people understand where they stop in relation to one another.”
The MBTA in a statement said:
“With safety always a top priority, the MBTA continues to actively raise awareness of the dangers of active track areas and grade crossings. All grade crossings on the MBTA’s Commuter Rail network, including the crossing in Andover at Essex Street, are fully equipped with all federally mandated safety features, including flashing lights and gates. The MBTA fully supports the Town’s Essex and Pearson Streets crossing reconfiguration project and remains committed to working cooperatively with the Town to enhance safety at these crossings next spring.”
Town residents and those working in the area called the intersection dangerous.
“It’s always crowded,” said one nearby worker. “It’s been a problem since I’ve been working here.”
Regarding the proposed project, a resident added, “It has to go into effect. There are too many people who use the route to say no.”
Flanagan told Boston 25 the town’s prepared to break ground as they await final approval from the MBTA and their partners.
He finished, “This corridor project is a representation of the town’s evolution towards how they see streets... and solves a historic issue in terms of safety and traffic.”
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW