Officials from both Dunbarton and the state are pushing for safety improvements at Page’s Corner intersection, but it could be almost a decade before construction gets started.

The project, which could include a roundabout, has been incorporated into the State Department of Transportation’s 10-year plan.

Page’s Corner is currently configured as a three-way stop intersection, serving as a convergence point for traffic from Goffstown, Hopkinton and Weare into Dunbarton. Over the years, this intersection has witnessed a significant volume of traffic and has been prone to accidents.

To address this issue, the state DOT has included plans for constructing a roundabout at Page’s Corner in its draft plan. The construction of a roundabout at the intersection is expected to make the area much safer.

In a proposal to the Department of Transportation, Chris Remillard, the police chief of Dunbarton, wrote, “The purpose of this project is to advocate for a long-term traffic safety solution at the Page’s Corner intersection through the construction of a roundabout. High traffic volume at the intersection, combined with the unique three-way stop configuration, contributes to a dangerous and oftentimes confusing traffic pattern.”

The estimated cost of the project at Jewett Road and NH 77 intersection in Dunbarton is $1.7 million. The Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission has also identified it as a priority project.

According to crash reports from the Dunbarton Police Department, there have been 17 accidents reported at the intersection between 2007 and 2017. In 2018, there were four accidents, in 2019, two accidents, and in 2020, seven accidents.

“There have been fewer crashes in recent years but the Town and the Department still believe that the intersection should be improved,” said Richard Arcand, public information officer at the Department of Transportation.

At present, the Dunbarton Police Department patrols the intersection as time allows for dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding, stop sign violations, and failure to yield the right-of-way. At the intersection, westbound traffic towards Weare has the right-of-way.

The federally funded project is scheduled to start in the summer of 2032.

In the interim, environmental assessments and public informational meetings will kick off in late 2027 to explore design alternatives, with a roundabout being one of the options under consideration to eliminate the accidents that can occur at stop signs or signalized intersections.