Shown in a September 26, 2015, photograph, a statue at the intersection of Routes 5 and 12 in Hartland, Vt., will need to be moved due to the intersection's reconfiguration. (Valley News - Geoff Hansen) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
Shown in a September 26, 2015, photograph, a statue at the intersection of Routes 5 and 12 in Hartland, Vt., will need to be moved due to the intersection's reconfiguration. (Valley News - Geoff Hansen) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

Hartland — The Selectboard decided on a plan last week to transform the Three Corners intersection into four.

In a 4-1 vote, the board accepted a design that will reconfigure the intersections of Routes 5, 12 and Hartland-Quechee Road into a four-way stop near Damon Hall. Plans also call for a historic Civil War monument to be moved during construction.

Selectboard members have debated the final design of the Hartland Three Corners intersection for months, and initial plans were agreed upon last winter.

Much of the ensuing conversation last Monday revolved around minor engineering questions and the Civil War memorial that sits on a parcel of land outside Damon Hall, said Town Manager Bob Stacey. Some people believe the monument should stay put, but the creation of a four-way stop calls for it to be moved. 

Although officials haven’t decided on a final spot for the memorial, Stacey said, preliminary plans have it slotted for a piece of land about 15 feet northeast.

Stacey said the roughly $450,000 project will also tighten roads and make room for improved parking, green space and crosswalks around the intersection.

Hartland Three Corners has long been a concern to town officials because of the complex series of stops, yields and turns used to navigate the road. The traffic situation worsened in 2007, when the town took part in a sidewalk project that added two more stop signs to the existing five.

The frustration came to a head three years ago, when the Selectboard recommended the town reconfigure the intersection by borrowing from its capital reserve fund over five years.

Residents approved the request during 2014 Town Meeting, and design work began shortly after.

The Selectboard’s approval allows the town to begin the state permitting process, Stacey said. It will then go out to bid some time in the winter and construction is expected to start next spring.  

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.