Topsham Fair Mall Road (Topsham, ME)

[Marf]

In the local newspaper yesterday there was an article about the Topsham Fair Mall Road, which extends from ME 196 to Winter Street. The town of Topsham wants to make the road "more regionally competitive, along with boosting its aesthetic qualities and pedestrian access, and mitigating impacts of stormwater on the urban impaired watershed". They also want to reduce the number of lanes on the road.

I have a problem with this, however. If there is less traffic capacity traffic jams will develop (duh), especially near Winners Circle. Currently Topsham Fair Mall Rd has four turn lanes at the intersection with ME 196 and two travel lanes with a third turn lane added at the first intersection with Winners Circle. Shortly thereafter the road has an intersection with Winners Circle and Monument Pl. This intersection has a traffic light. Monument Pl is used to avoid traffic on ME 196, and thus carries a lot of cross traffic from the mall across the street. This may need to be truncated to Mallet Dr to keep cross traffic off the road.

Continuing on, the road has intersections with Park Drive and Midway Drive, the former with a traffic light. Park Dr is a shortcut to Winter Street, so it may need to be truncated at its opposite end to reduce turning traffic. There is also cross traffic at these intersections due to the Topsham Fair Mall being across the street. Topsham Fair Mall Road then narrows to 1 lane on the northbound side and 2 on the southbound side. The road continues on past several stores with dedicated turn lanes on the southbound side only.

Topsham Fair Mall Rd then narrows to 1 lane in each direction, then has intersections with Park Drive and Midway Drive. The road then concludes at Winter Street with no turn lanes.

I have concluded that:
1. Topsham Fair Mall Road should be four-laned all the way to Winter St.
2. Monument Pl should be truncated to Mallet Dr while Park Drive and Midway Drive should have their southern intersections removed.
3. Turn lanes should be added between both intersections with Midway Drive


Pictures:

ME 196 area:


Winter St area:


The entire article can be found here: http://www.theforecaster.net/topsham-seeks-input-on-mall-road-master-plan/

[ixnay]

Topsham Fair Mall... exit 31 of I-295, a couple of miles west of Brunswick.

ixnay