Opening day for a new, improved Middleborough rotary is still four years away, but drivers who regularly brave the circular free-for-all are already celebrating, as are local officials who predict an explosion of regional growth.
In January, after decades of delays, the state Department of Transportation said design and permitting for the rotary makeover — to include a new flyover — would not only begin immediately but state engineers would also end the impasse by using the town’s $38 million plan over the state’s $25 million version.
Town officials and others agree the notorious nightmare at the hub of Routes 28, 18, and 44, and Interstate 495 — the scene of countless accidents and regular backups — has been the single largest roadblock to economic vitality in Middleborough. But that’s about to change, they say.