Safety Improvements Completed At Notorious Malden Intersection

MALDEN, MA — Officials activated the traffic signal at the newly completed intersection at Fellsway East and Highland Avenue last month, marking the completion of major safety improvements in the area.

This intersection improvement project is expected to have several benefits for the community, including:

• Improved safety for all users within the intersection
• Narrower roadway widths to reduce vehicle speeds
• Six pedestrian crosswalks, all controlled by WALK signs
• Curb extensions to reduce the lengths of crosswalks
• New bike lanes on Fellsway East northbound

"For years, neighborhood advocates, city leaders and state officials have been united in their calls to fix the treacherous Fellsway-Highland intersection, and after careful planning, diligent follow-up and hard work from all stakeholders, this long-overdue safety and traffic improvement is complete," Sen. Jason Lewis said in a statement. "I'm grateful to Mayor Christenson, the Malden City Council and Department of Public Works, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, and my colleagues in Malden’s legislative delegation for their collaboration and partnership as we all worked together over the last five years to fix Fellsway-Highland and make it safe for motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and all users."

The intersection of Fellsway East and Highland Avenue, along a heavily traveled corridor, was infamous for its operational and safety issues and high number of crashes. In the past, this intersection was ranked number 77 on the 2006-2008 Statewide Top 200 Intersections Crash List.

In 2015, the Malden legislative delegation brought together the DCR and the city of Malden to fund a $30,000 traffic study for the intersection. Since the Fellsway is a state road and Highland Avenue is a city road, state and city officials cooperated closely on the planning and implementation of the improvements to the notorious Ward 3 intersection.

After the conclusion of the study and public comments from Malden residents, the DCR began the safety improvements at the intersection in 2019. Improvements included traffic signals, crosswalks with ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps; bike lanes; and reconfigured intersection geometry to improve safety for pedestrians and motorists.

As part of the state budget for Fiscal Year 2019, Malden legislators secured $100,000 in state funding for the project by passing a budget amendment filed by Lewis. Later, legislators won an additional $200,000 for this project as part of a Fiscal Year 2020 supplemental state budget bill.

"I could not be more pleased with the outcome of this long-awaited improvement to an intersection that has been a safety risk for our residents," Malden Mayor Gary Christenson said in a statement. "City Councillors-At-Large Craig Spadafora and Debbie DeMaria along with the neighborhood, our partners in the State delegation and DCR made solving this challenge possible, and I'm appreciative of the proactive approach they took in making this happen."