Study suggests widening Route 44 Corridor in Canton

Connecticut, (WTIC radio) No doubt there has been substantial growth and development along the Route 44 corridor in Canton with studies projecting even further growth in the coming years. The Foundation For Fair Contracting of Connecticut says the final report hasn’t been written, but research so far on a wide-ranging study of the Route 44 corridor in Canton endorses widening the roadway to create left-turn lanes at Dowd Avenue and adding a traffic roundabout on Dowd about a half-mile to the west. Engineers and traffic planners studied the cost, viability and potential benefits of a long series of ideas for improving safety and traffic flow along the a roughly 1.5-mile section of Route 44, the most heavily traveled road in Canton, and a shorter section of Dowd Avenue. Based on state transportation department’s forecast as well as the amount of properties open to potential development, planners projected a nearly 24% increase in traffic volume in the study area by 2050. One of the boldest and most challenging proposals that came up during the study was to convert the center of the Canton Village Shops’ long parking lots between Dowd Avenue and Route 44 into a full-scale road with sidewalks. However, the study fully recommends another large-scale change: installing a roundabout where the Canton Village Shops parking lot connects to Dowd Avenue.