North Andover Asks Drivers For Patience With New School Opening

NORTH ANDOVER, MA -- School officials are trying to work through traffic congestion at pick-up and drop off at the middle school, Atkinson Elementary School and the new Anne Bradstreet Early Childhood Center. "We ask your patience as we work through these new patterns, especially at the new school," the school system said in a message posted on the town Website. The school department plans to post a video on Tuesday that will demonstrate traffic patterns at the new center.

Patch will post the video on this story when it is released by the school department.

The town offered the following written instructions to reduce traffic congestion at each of the schools:

• Atkinson Elementary - pick up and drop off will remain the same as it was at the end of last year. Cars and buses will enter through Phillips Brooks and will follow the directions of staff, then will proceed out Beacon Hill Rd. onto Mass. Ave.
• Middle School - those vehicles (cars and buses) that were exiting out Beacon Hill or onto Rte. 125 at the end of last year will now all exit out onto Rte. 125. They must turn left at the top of the road leading up to the ABECC, then turn right onto Rte. 125. Exiting onto Rte. 125 will remain a Right Turn Only. Cars will still be able to exit out to Parker Street as well.
• Anne Bradstreet Early Childhood Center (ABECC) - cars and buses will enter the Middle School from Main Street. Cars will drive to the right of the Middle School and then around the back to access the road up to the ABECC. Cars will be restricted to the right lane as they make their way up to the parking lot. Cars will then proceed around the outside of the parking lot and will follow directions from staff for drop off and pick up. They will then turn right out of the parking lot and exit onto Rte. 125 (Right Turn Only). Buses (and ONLY buses) will travel around the left of the Middle School and use the left lane heading up to the ABECC. They will discharge in the bus loop on the side of the building and then exit onto Rte. 125 (Right Turn Only). There will be no entry into the site from Rte. 125. Preschool parents are asked to not join the drop off cue in the morning until 8:35 because they will not be able to drop off until that time and joining the cue prior to 8:35 will slow down the drop off for Kindergarten students.

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Photo and video by North Andover Public Schools.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).