A new, three-color traffic signal is scheduled to be installed next year at the intersection of Route 1 and Congress Street in Belfast, according to a state official.
Currently, the intersection has only stop signs for vehicles on Congress Street that approach Route 1 from either direction. Vehicles traveling on Route 1 do not have to stop at the intersection.
Work is slated to begin on Feb. 1, 2027, said Andrew Gobeil, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Transportation.
More than two dozen crashes have occurred at the intersection in the last decade, according to data from the Maine Department of Transportation’s Public Crash Query Tool.
According to a 2019 traffic study, there were eight car crashes at the Congress Street intersection between 2016 and 2018. That rate is higher than other intersections around that area but not high enough to establish a pattern of accidents that “indicate any correctable type safety deficiency,” the study states.
Neighbors have complained about speeding and reckless driving in the area, and the city has been working to improve safety at several intersections along Route 1.
The $710,000 project was initially planned for 2026, according to the transportation department’s work plan. It could be further delayed until spring 2027, Gobeil said.