Granger Boulevard, the east-west corridor that carries traffic across Marlborough, is expected to receive a $15 million upgrade aimed at fixing roadway safety and traffic flow along the route. But before any pavement gets torn up, the city first has to design the project — and that design work alone just got its funding green light.
The Marlborough City Council voted on October 19 to accept a $1.215 million Project Design Pilot award from the Boston Region MPO, which will fund the design phase of the street reconstruction, according to Community Advocate. The grant requires a 20 percent local matching contribution, totaling $243,000, which the city intends to cover using Chapter 90 funds. City Engineer Thomas DiPersio, Jr. is credited with securing the award funds.
The planned overhaul covers the whole street and its five signalized intersections, stretching from West Main Street to East Main Street. It is intended to address roadway safety, traffic operations, transit, and pedestrian and bicycle accommodations, while also improving connections to the regional transportation network, the outlet reports.
What the Redesign Could Actually Look Like
Materials from the Boston Region MPO describe the Granger Boulevard work, administered under Project Number 612285, as a design-only Complete Streets reconstruction of Route 20 between Mechanic Street and East Main Street. The agency's project descriptions say the design would implement road diets and other traffic-safety measures meant to improve operational flow along the corridor.
Pedestrian improvements on the table include shorter crosswalk lengths and modernized sidewalks, per the same MPO documentation. The plans also call for a new shared-use path that would connect to the Assabet River Rail Trail and Artemas Ward Park, and the MPO's materials raise the possibility of improvements to MetroWest Regional Transit Authority bus stops in the area, though that detail has not been confirmed for the final design. Separate MPO scoring materials likewise classify the Granger Boulevard project as design-only.
A Long Road Ahead Before Construction
Even with the grant secured, construction is unlikely to begin during the coming year, Community Advocate reports. The $1.215 million award covers design work only — it does not fund the construction itself.
City officials have welcomed the funding as an early but important step. Mark Oram said the grant is on its way and called it a great start, while Kathleen Robey congratulated the engineering team on landing the award.
How Marlborough's Award Fits a Statewide Push
Marlborough's design grant came out of a competitive pool — the Boston Region MPO received 15 applications for its project design pilot program, according to the agency's own meeting minutes. The pilot sits alongside other state efforts to fund street safety work: a separate MassDOT Complete Streets Funding Program round awarded $6.6 million to safety projects in 15 Massachusetts cities and towns, bringing that program's total to more than $123 million awarded to 568 projects across the Commonwealth, according to MassLive. That program is distinct from the MPO's design pilot that funded Granger Boulevard's planning phase, but it reflects a broader statewide appetite for street-safety investment that Marlborough's project is now tapping into.
For now, Granger Boulevard drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians will have to wait. The $15 million reconstruction remains the expected scope of the project, but with design work funded and construction not expected within the coming year, the overhaul that could reshape one of the city's key east-west corridors is still very much in its early stages.
