Beverly Awarded $750K For Dunham Road Roundabout Project

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly was awarded $750,000 to help fund the design of its Dunham Road roundabout project at Route 128 through the MassWorks Infrastructure Program.

The state announced the funding as part of the FY24 Round of the Community One Stop for Growth that presented nearly $164 million in funding to 338 economic development projects in 161 communities this week.

Beverly was also awarded $50,000 to update its exterior sign ordinance.

The roundabout project is part of a long-term infrastructure plan in the city to open up commercial and industrial-zoned land for use in the areas of Dunham Road and Brimbal Avenue.

The roundabout is expected to unlock about 70 acres of land for greater use and increase traffic, safety and access to the affected residential neighborhood along Dunham Road.

"This project will not only improve traffic flow in a very complicated corridor but will also greatly improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists," Beverly City Engineer Lisa Chandler said. "We're looking forward to working with our design team to address the concerns of the residents, travelers, and primary stakeholders to achieve a project that is beneficial to all."

The additional $50,000 grant will allow the city to provide reasonable regulations for exterior signs to bring the ordinance up-to-date, encourage creativity, and make them easier to understand and enforceable when it comes to any ordinance violations.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)