BRUNSWICK

Motorists will soon encounter changes at one of the thorniest intersections in Brunswick.

Today, crews are expected to remove the yield sign at the intersection of Mill and Pleasant streets in favor of a temporary set of traffic signals, with the lights being activated today or Thursday.

In addition, drivers turning left onto Pleasant Street from Stanwood Street will encounter a red arrow.

Public Works Director John Foster said the Maine Department of Transportation is testing the traffic signal before moving ahead with plans to reconstruct the intersection.

Foster said MDOT wants to know whether the new configuration causes too much congestion on Mill Street, which reconnects a large amount of traffic onto Route 1 northbound in addition to downtown Maine Street.

The change is designed to allow a better flow of traffic to Route 1. It is possible, however, that a signal light — instead of a yield sign — will make it easier for vehicles exiting on to Pleasant Street from Mill Street.

If the new red light on Mill Street proves successful, it will likely become a permanent part of the intersection upgrade.

Currently, traffic on Mill Street heading toward Pleasant

Street slows or stops due to the yield sign, even when no vehicles are at or turning from Stanwood Street.

Vehicles turning left from Stanwood Street onto Pleasant Street frequently cross a rumble strip that was designed to keep vehicles in their correct lane.

MDOT will realign islands

and change the geometry of the intersection to improve safety and traffic flow. The department will acquire a portion of a vacant lot — the former site of a Cumberland Farms now owned by the town — in order to move a sidewalk and flatten a curve. That will allow for a larger radius for vehicles turning off of Stanwood.

Foster said the permanent intersection improvement plan will be implemented in 2019. The project is included in the MDOT work plan for 2019-20 with $1.35 million in estimated funding.

Improvements

• REMOVAL of Mill Street yield sign.

• ADDING traffic signal lights at Mill Street.

• ADDING a red arrow at Stanwood Street.