Significant Improvements Planned for Melrose's Essex Street Corridor

The City of Melrose has proposed major plans to revitalize the Essex Street corridor, in large part due to a MassWorks grant from the Commonwealth. The total anticipated cost of this improvement project is $700,000. The grant will fund $500,000 of the work.

Utility work as well as sidewalk replacement on Essex Street between Myrtle and Emerson will be completed this fall. The roadway, as well as all work needed to be completed on Essex Street from Main Street to Myrtle, will take place in spring of 2016.

Here’s a check on all the proposed improvements:

Essex Street – Main Street to Myrtle Street

• Victorian-style lighting on both sides of the street (similar to Franklin Street)
• Bump-outs at crosswalks in the following locations: Cerretani Way to Century 21; Shaw’s entrance to parking lot across the street; intersection of Myrtle and Essex Streets
• Street trees on the south side
• Bike lane on the north side
• 18-inch accent strip along curb on both sides
• Benches and bike racks

Essex Street – Myrtle Street to Willow Street

• Maintain parking on north side
• Centerline striping
• Off-street tree plantings (with permission from property owners)
• Bicycle shared lane markings (sharrows)

Essex Street – Willow Street to West Emerson Street

• Centerline and edge line striping
• Bicycle shared lane markings (sharrows)
• Off-street tree plantings (with permission from property owners)
• New crosswalk crossing Essex Street at Vine Street and crossing Essex Street at Willow Street
• Reconfiguration of bend in front of the Deering site to tighten travel lanes
• “Cut-in” parking area in front of the parking lot
• Grass strip in residential areas
• Benches and bike racks

Willow Street

• One-way travel from Essex Street to West Foster Street
• New concrete sidewalks and paving from Essex Street to Cherry Street
• Bump-outs at Cherry Street and the driveway for Station Crossing with painted crosswalks
• Addition of 8 parking spaces on the east side of Willow between Cherry Street and West Foster Street
• Bicycle shared lane markings