HYANNIS – A virtual meeting was held for the public recently by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation regarding their Statewide Exit Renumbering Project.
The project has been developed by MassDOT as a way to bring the state up to full federal standards.
Numbers are slated to be transitioned to a mile-based numbering system, and Neil Boudreau with MassDOT said that old exit numbers will be displayed along with the new exit numbers for at least two years.
“We want to ensure that the public knows what’s going on,” Boudreau explained, “and that they’re not just going to be thrown at this change without realizing what the old exit numbers are.”
Supporters of the changes say that this system makes it easier to determine distances between locations and to provide information for emergency response teams.
Some also see the change as a way to provide uniformity with the rest of the nation as well as flexibility, should more exits need to be added in the future.
Those who are not in favor of the change, including some on the Cape, often believe it could negatively impact an area’s character while also being harmful for local businesses development.
Project Manager Alex Siu said that the project should begin in October.
“All of the construction…will be complete by summer 2021,” Siu added.
More information on the Statewide Exit Renumbering Project can be found by clicking here.
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