The City of Fairfield will host a public open house on the planned Burlington Avenue and Main Street intersection improvement project on Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 118 S. Main St.
The meeting will give businesses, property owners and community members an opportunity to review the proposed improvements, ask questions and provide feedback ahead of a required public hearing for construction, according to City Engineer and Public Works Director Melanie Carlson.
The project will rework all four corners of the intersection to increase visibility and improve safety. Final design work is currently underway, with bidding anticipated this winter and construction expected to begin in 2027.
The intersection has been identified as a high-priority safety location through multiple studies over the past decade. Between 2020 and 2024, the intersection experienced nine crashes, including one suspected serious injury crash. A 2024 vehicle-pedestrian crash that seriously injured a child further prompted the push for improvements. The project includes adding crosswalks on the north and east sides of the intersection, installing curb bump-outs at each corner to shorten crossing distances, adding pedestrian countdown timers, and replacing aging traffic signals that are at least 50 years old.
City staff and engineering firm French-Reneker Associates have been working with Main Street Fairfield to develop a public outreach plan for the project. Main Street Executive Director Jill Lane has been meeting individually with businesses and property owners most directly affected by the proposed improvements and has engaged state resources commonly used for streetscape and downtown improvement projects.
