– News about Quincy from Quincy Quarry News with commentary added

The under-construction intersection
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive image

Generals Bridge intersection with Burgin Parkway fraught with potential safety concerns?

While out and about the mean streets of Quincy, Quincy Quarry News personnel stumbled upon the surprisingly all but about to be completed Generals Bridge’s intersection with Burgin Parkway. 

Previously, the Quarry reported it was leaning to taking the over on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (“MassDOT”) highly-qualified announcement that the bridge would probably be opened up for use by the end of December.

Later burned out while under remodeling
An iconic Quincy Quarry News file photo

Needless to say, the Quarry would be looking at taking a bath if it had not laid off its action after its head tout was reminded that this was a MassDOT-run project and thus less likely to run late than most any City of Quincy-run project. 

After all, while MassDOT is what it is, it at least knows to double its worst-case internal projections and so tends to end up not officially late whereas City of Quincy-mismanaged projects all but invariably ends up running over budget and/or late.

Additionally, the Quarry’s weather desk contemporaneously chimed in to remind the head tout that months ago the weather team had projected a generally mild fall and so provide near-perfect construction-friendly weather.

Note solar panels over pedestrian crosswalk signs
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive image

In any event, with the bridge approaching completion, final touches on the bridge cannot help but give rise to safety concerns even if the Quarry has already dodged suffering a hit on its gaming operations.

For example, rather than going with a standard set of traffic signals, this intersection will be relying on solar-powered flashing yellow lights to accommodate pedestrians.

Essentially these very same lights are in place on a nearby intersection along Washington Street at Elm Street. 

“Pedestrians down – send ambulances!”
A file photo

As for these lights’ effectiveness, however, it must be noted that recently a mother and child were crossing Washington in a crosswalk and with the lights said to have been flashing were struck by a motor vehicle while the mother and her child were on their way to a school bus stop.

Problems with these simple pedestrian crosswalk traffic lights include that they only flash yellow when activated whereas more than a few drivers are known to speed on Quincy streets as well as run red traffic signal lights.

Apparently, someone felt that the pedestrian traffic over the bridge coming from the one-time venue of the now-former Ross Garage would be light given that the bridge provides all but no convenient foot traffic egress to much of anything as well as even less so than does the bridge for vehicular traffic via this latest Bridge to nowhere in Quincy Center.

Does anyone know how the Q these things are supposed to work?
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

Further, it appears that there will only be one crosswalk at the bridge.  

Also perplexing is that this one crosswalk will be arguably crossing over to the even less likely traveled way on the other side of the street.

Then again, both pedestrians, as well as perhaps even some drivers, can find some comfort that at least the so-called “Hawk Lights” installed on Hancock Street in front of City Hall and the Quincy Center MBTA station and at one of end Kim Jong Koch Plaza that is opposite Craig’s Cafe were not used at the Generals Bridge.

Even so, there are still other concerns with this soon-to-be-made operational new intersection along the very busy thoroughfare that is Burgin Parkway.

Specifically, there will not be any traffic signals to accommodate vehicular traffic turning onto Burgin northbound from the bridge.  In fact, rather than building a merge lane on Burgin, an especially wide sidewalk was instead as well as inexplicably built.

How tough is it to jump a curb?
A Quincy Quarry News exclusive image

Granted, such vehicular traffic using the bridge is expected to be light for at least some time before it might someday become more so, one can still only have concerns.

Plus, one cannot help but expect problems with some drivers opting to bang a left on Burgin Parkway after crossing the bridge as there is but simple center divider curbing to block them. 

After all, what is the point of owning an SUV or a four-wheel-drive Ford F-150 pickup if one cannot pop over a curb, especially after closing time?

Put another way, installing a Jersey barrier grade barrier surely would have been a prudent design decision.

Got snowshoes?
A Quincy Quarry News file photo

Next up, there are legitimate concerns about snow clearing. 

After all, much of the new roadways has both been squeezed as regards its shoulders and thus the sidewalk opposite the bridge is looking to be facing snow removal problems even if next to no one will be using this run of sidewalk.

Then again, it is not like the City of Quincy is known for its snow clearing.

At least not in the way of anything favorable nor can be conveyed via language that the Quarry publishes.