Swifts Beach Road, Route 6 could see new traffic light

The intersection of Route 6 and Swifts Beach Road, along with the nearby crosswalk, has been the site of many recent accidents — including three in which a pedestrian was hit.

Selectman Alan Slavin, Acting Police Chief John Walcek, and State Representative Susan Gifford recently met with the regional Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and were surprised to hear that a 2017 traffic study of the intersection did, in fact, seem to qualify it for a traffic light.

All three officials had previously been told that it would not qualify for a light.

Because Route 6 is a state road, the process of applying for and receiving a light is entirely in the hands of Mass DOT, Slavin said. All major projects like this must be approved by the main branch of the department in Boston.

Even if the light is approved, the town likely will not see the traffic light installed for about three years.

“The bottom line is it’s taken a long time but we’ve kept with it,” Slavin said.