State Reps Ask Gov. Baker To Fix Route 9 Flooding

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Local drivers know the problem well, and hopefully now Gov. Charlie Baker does, too.

Framingham's state delegation on Wednesday sent a letter to the governor asking him to address flooding problems along Route 9, particularly near the Route 126 overpass. Both the east and westbound sides of the highway flood near that intersection during heavy rainstorms.

In a letter, Senate President Karen Spilka, state Reps. Maria Robinson, Carmen Gentile and Jack Lewis, Mayor Yvonne Spicer, and Councilor Robert Case, ask Baker to take several steps toward addressing the flooding issue. The most important is the installation of water detention basins on either side of the road.

In order to install the basins, MassDOT has to move a salt shed located at the southwest corner of the intersection. That project was set to be complete in 2020, but the letter says the project may be pushed back to 2023.

The delegation also asked Baker to get MassDOT to install flashing lights near the overpass in the event of flooding.

"Needless to say, Route 9 in Framingham is a busy area, one with which you are presumably familiar due to its proximity to the state police headquarters and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's headquarters," the letter says. "With the addition of a new retail cannabis shop on the eastbound road, we anticipate additional traffic coming through this hazardous intersection. We need this intersection fixed immediately in the name of safety."

If you've never experienced the Route 9 flooding, you might get a chance this weekend: a tropical depression is heading up the coast, and may cause flash flooding in the area Friday night through early Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.