JAY — The Maine Department of Transportation is moving ahead with plans to construct a roundabout at the intersection of routes 133 and 156, known locally as Beans Corner.

The move comes after years of crashes that have made the site one of the most hazardous in Franklin County.

The $3.6 million project is expected to go out to bid in the fall 2027, with construction largely taking place in 2028, according to Marty Rooney, senior project manager with MDOT. The project will be funded with 90% federal highway safety money and 10% state funds. Federal safety funding is restricted to projects supported by crash data and engineering analysis.

MDOT has held meetings with the town, including the town manager, police, fire, EMS, public works and school officials, to discuss construction impacts and possible traffic control measures during the work. The agency also offered an on-demand public presentation in July, allowing residents to review the project plans and submit comments between July 9 and July 25.

The agency emphasized that input from local residents is a key part of the process, particularly on how best to manage traffic during construction and how the project might affect nearby homes, businesses and school transportation.

At the Sept. 22 Select Board meeting, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said MDOT is moving forward with engineering while continuing to gather crash data through 2027. She explained that officials considered several construction options, including a full closure, a summer-only closure, or alternating traffic lanes. Local departments agreed that a complete closure would be best to finish the project quickly. “The school can reroute their bus routes, the ambulance service can plan accordingly, and everybody will be aware of what’s happening,” LaFreniere said.

LaFreniere also noted that the Select Board voted to recommend MaineDOT pursue the full closure and detour option, aside from local traffic, if the project proceeds. She said this recommendation was based on input from public works, fire, police, MaineHealth EMS and RSU 73, and reflected the consensus that it would be the fastest way to complete construction.

Decades of problems

The intersection operated as a two-way stop for decades, with only drivers on Route 156 required to yield. Concerns about repeated right-angle crashes, also known as T-bone crashes, led the state to convert it into a four-way stop in May 2024 as a temporary fix while a longer-term solution was considered.

From 2020 through 2022, there were 35 crashes reported at the site, including 28 right-angle collisions, according to MDOT data. Since the four-way stop was added, five crashes have been reported, showing some improvement but not eliminating the risk.

Dennis Emidy, a Maine Department of Transportation highway safety engineer, told the Jay Select Board in 2023 that in a 10-year period there were 75 crashes at the intersection of which 69 (92%) of the crashes T-bone crashes.

While the four-way stop will remain in place for the next several years, MaineDOT considers a roundabout the best long-term safety solution. If the all-way stop shows greater-than-expected improvements, officials could reevaluate, but current planning is focused on the roundabout.

Once built, the roundabout would replace the existing stop signs and is expected to improve safety by reducing high-speed right-angle crashes and lowering the severity of collisions that may occur.

For residents of Jay, the intersection’s history of crashes has made it a consistent concern. State officials say the roundabout design offers the best chance to make Beans Corner safer for everyone who travels through.

“The goal of the project is to reduce the number and severity of crashes,” Rooney said. “Crash and safety data will be the primary factor as the project moves forward.”