Provide Your Input to the Plum Island Turnpike Resiliency Improvements Project
June 11, 2025Jne 11, 2025
Provide Your Input to the Plum Island Turnpike Resiliency Improvements Project
The Town of Newbury and the City of Newburyport and our partners held an Information Gathering session for the Plum Island Turnpike Resiliency Improvements Project on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters.
We had a great turnout – more than 70 people who contributed observations and suggestions for improvements to the PI Turnpike. The meeting included a brief presentation by the project team and feedback from the public. View Tighe & Bond’s presentation slides here.
Missed the meeting? Here’s your chance to provide feedback before the end of the month! Fill out this short survey.
Participants spoke with the project team members and Tighe & Bond consultants in the classroom, providing input on transportation conflicts between pedestrians/cyclists and motor vehicles, issues with access, and possible improvements. The results were collected and will be used to guide the feasibility study. Here is a general summary of the public discussion:
Safety: Concerns around narrow shoulders, lack of bike lanes and sidewalks, and dangerous curves
Flooding: High tides and storm events frequently flood the Turnpike impacting accessibility
Transit and Parking Solution: Suggestions like a seasonal shuttle to alleviate parking issues were supported, but there are still considerations around overcrowding
Environmental and Marsh Health: Concerns about the impact of road elevation on marsh migration, more support for better culverts for drainage
Public Amenities: Kayak access was widely supported
The purpose of the public meeting was to gather information about problems related to public access across the Turnpike to the Refuge. Additionally, the project is considering multimodal infrastructure including advancing shared streets principles, traffic calming, and improved shoulder conditions. More information about the project can be found here.
