There could eventually be a new exit on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Nestled between the Westfield and Lee exits, a 30 mile stretch on the Mass Pike, is Blandford, Massachusetts.
The post office opens at noon and closes at 4 o’clock.
The town store is open only Wednesday through Sunday.
The town clerk says there are typically only two employees in town hall on Monday mornings.
There is no traffic.
A MassDOT interchange study could change that, though.
People living there have mixed feelings.
“You know, for years, people who live in Blandford really wished they could get onto the pike from Blandford,” says Tom Haller, who has a second home in town.
The exit would bring more cars through the town. It’s something the 1,200 people living there aren’t currently used to.
In neighboring town, Otis, commuters at Papa’s Healthy Food & Fuel love the idea, but don’t know if people in Blandford would.
“…Especially people who live on Algerie Road,” says Walter Longiaru, who lives in Otis in the summer. “They may think [it causes] a lot of traffic on that road because of the interchange.”
While residents are concerned about the amount of traffic having an exit in Blandford would cause, people are mostly excited that they’ll have a convenient place to hop on the Mass Pike.
“I think it’ll be good for the business in the area…” says Larry Hopkins, who travels on the Mass Pike for work every day. “…because it’s a small town it’ll bring in more revenue.”
Right now, out-of-towners drive right by the small town, without ever stopping by. And, people living there have to take a 35 minute trip to Lee, or 20 minute drive to Westfield to access the Massachusetts Turnpike.
