Milford's Beaver St. Would Get $4M In State Transportation Bill

MILFORD, MA — A major state transportation funding bill includes millions for several projects in Milford, including a conversion of Beaver Street at Route 109 to two directions — which may help relieve backups related to Amazon and other facilities in the area.

The $16.5 billion transportation bond bill was passed almost unanimously in the Legislature early Wednesday morning with Republican state Sen. Ryan Fattman the lone "no" vote of any lawmaker. The bill now heads to Gov. Charlie Baker for a signature.

Lawmakers included hundreds of millions of dollars for local road improvements, reimagining and repurposing street space, increasing access to transit and commuter stations and more. In Milford, those earmarks include:

• $4 million to convert Beaver Street below Route 109 into a two-way street
• $4 million to upgrade the intersection of Route 109 and Beaver Street
• $2.7 million to renovate Route 16 between Beaver Street/Fortune Boulevard and Route 109

Property owner Route 85 Realty in the fall asked the town for permission to switch Beaver Street below Route 109 to two-way as part of a plan to build two parking lots for vans coming and going from the Amazon facility. Combined, the two lots at 21 and 26 Beaver St. would create about 20 acres of parking space for over 500 delivery vans. The Board of Selectmen approved the proposal in October.