WESTBOROUGH – A crash shut down part of Route 9 at Otis Street in Westborough on Friday when a truck struck a series of traffic lights hanging above the road.
The Westborough Police Department shared word of the crash just before 5 p.m., warning of “extended traffic issues.”
Crews from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) were en route at the time, with the DOT explaining in a tweet that traffic had been completely stopped in both directions on Route 9, with detours in place.
“Expect delays,” the DOT wrote.
Route 9 itself had partially reopened as of 6:30 p.m., though traffic crossing Route 9 along Otis Street remained blocked at the intersection.
At least one damaged light fixture could be seen on the ground on the side of the road following the crash.
Crews remained on scene at Route 9 and Otis Street as of 7 p.m. on Friday, with police guiding traffic around DOT crews as they continued to operate on the traffic lights that remained suspended above the road.
This intersection has been a topic of discussion in recent months, beyond this latest disruption, with the Select Board noting concerns in a meeting with State Sen. Michael Moore back in November of last year.
Select Board member Ian Johnson specifically emphasized a pressing need to improve safety in the area.
“That intersection is one that we have numerous accidents there,” Johnson said.
He noted the large Arrive residential complex that overlooks Route 9 and Otis Street, discussing a need for both crosswalks as well as a larger median in the road to protect pedestrians that cannot cross all of Route 9 in one light cycle.
Those improvements would give Arrive residents better access to the other side of Route 20, Johnson said.
“Now we have them crossing where there is no crosswalk,” he continued. “It’s really an unsafe intersection.”
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