Two busy Brewer intersections, including one that has seen the city’s highest number of crashes in recent years, are in line for a number of changes aimed at making them safer both for cars and pedestrians.
The work is planned for North Main and State streets, which has seen 34 crashes that resulted in seven injuries between 2019 and 2021, and Penobscot and State streets, which saw 17 crashes during that same period.
The intersections will get new traffic cameras, backup battery systems to keep traffic lights running when the power goes out and new pedestrian walk buttons, Brewer city engineer Jeremy Caron said.
Other improvements aimed at making the intersections easier to cross on foot are also in the works, he said.
The roadwork is a Maine Department of Transportation project, but the cities of Bangor and Brewer are in charge of carrying out the work, according to Department of Transportation spokesperson Paul Merrill.
The project will cost $942,000 and construction is likely to finish by the end of the year, Merrill said.
Work is scheduled to begin this summer, and Brewer plans to seek bids for a contractor sometime in the next few months, Caron said.
The Brewer engineering department will present its plans for the project and gather public input at an informational meeting at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 at City Hall.