The Maine Department of Transportation has invested over $4 million to make two dangerous intersections along Route 4 in Turner safer for motorists.

The two intersections — where Route 4 connects with Route 219 and Weston Road, respectively ― are among the top 10 most accident-prone spots in Maine, according to a list kept by the Department of Transportation.

However, officials hope to see improvement after state construction projects at both locations.

The total cost of the Route 219 project, where a four-way intersection was realigned into two, three-way intersections, is $3.6 million, with $2.9 million for construction, Andrew Gobeil, spokesman for the Maine DOT, said. Some paving remains to be done.

The total cost for Weston Road, where a traffic light was installed, was $836,000, with $610,000 for construction.  

The town of Turner did not contribute local funding to the intersection changes, Town Manager Kurt Schaub said.

The Route 219 intersection was ranked No. 5 on the accident-prone intersection list. From 2019-24 there were five reported fatal or suspected serious or minor injuries sustained in crashes at the site. There were 23 crashes in the intersection and 17 right angle crashes, where one car sideswipes another. There were no pedestrian-involved crashes.

The Weston Road intersection, in front of the Northland Plaza, ranked 10th in the survey.

At this location there were eight fatal or serious injuries crashes over the past 20 years. There were five either fatal or serious or minor injuries at the site, according to data.

From 2019-24, there were 11 crashes in the intersection and five right-angle crashes.

The most dangerous crash site listed is the intersection of Washington Street (routes 100 and 202), Danville Corner Road, and Beech Hill Road in Auburn. The state plans to add a traffic light to the area. A majority of comments on a comment site for Maine DOT favored installing a traffic signal at the site where two people died in a crash in May.

The second-highest crash site is at the intersections of state routes 133 and 156 in Jay, known locally as Bean’s Corner. The state has installed a four-way stop in 2024 and is considering adding the first round-about in Franklin County at the location.