New Traffic Islands at New Bedford’s Tarkiln Hill Road Rail Crossing

The redesign of the area of New Bedford where Tarkiln Hill Road meets Kings Highway, near where South Coast Rail will someday zip through, is finally making sense to me. I've lost track of how many days work crews have spent doing various projects in that area in recent years. It appears the end may be in sight.

In November of last year, when it seemed construction might be winding down, work crews installed traffic islands in the roadway, eliminating a lane in each direction. The road became like an hourglass, with two lanes suddenly merging into one for several yards. It was confusing as hell to some and just plain crazy to others.

Holly Huntoon, New Bedford's Interim Public Information Officer at the time, told me[1], "The islands are a safety treatment often used at grade crossings and were required by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and South Coast Rail for the Tarkiln Hill Road grade crossing." New Traffic Islands At New Bedford's Tarkiln Hill Road Crossing

loading... Huntoon said the islands work in conjunction with the railroad gate arms to prevent vehicles from going around the gate arms when they are activated (in the down position.)

Many folks were not happy with the sudden lane drop.

Alas, the problem appears solved to everyone's satisfaction. New, permanent traffic islands are in place. Work crews added a second lane to Tarklin Hill Road in each direction.

Bye-bye hourglass! Now if we can only get South Coast Rail back on track. The MBTA says it will likely be spring 2025 before rail service to New Bedford is restored.

We've already waited decades. What's a few more months?

New Bedford's Top 10 Most Dangerous Intersections

Considering the distracted world in which we live, driving anywhere is a gamble. Certain hot spots in New Bedford tend to be riskier than others.

Here are the 10 most dangerous intersections in the city.

Gallery Credit: Michael Rock[2]

10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Move to New Bedford

Why would anyone want to move to New Bedford when they'd have to deal with all of these things?

Gallery Credit: Barry Richard

References

1. ^ told me (wbsm.com)
2. ^ Michael Rock (fun107.com)