Shank Painter Road Project

Approved configuration from the Select Board’s October 28, 2019 meeting packet. (Graphic by Environmental Partners Group)

The “Shank Painter Road Project” is made up of three major elements:

Full reconstruction of Shank Painter Rd from Bradford St to Route 6, including sidewalks with street trees, buffered bike lanes, new drainage, and new water mains;

A modern roundabout at the intersection of Shank Painter Rd and Route 6 to replace the current flashing light; and
The reconfiguration of Route 6 between the roundabout and Herring Cove Beach, relocating motor vehicles to the north side of the median (1 lane in each direction) and creating a new, 1-mile long, 16-foot wide multi-use trail on the south side of the median from the roundabout to the Province Lands Bike Trail in the Cape Cod National Seashore.

The estimated $16.3 million construction cost (2023) is funded through the regional Transportation Improvement Plan administered by the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization. Engineering costs were funded by local Town Meeting appropriations.

Below is a running update on public meetings, documents, and any news related to the Shank Painter Road Project. The town occasionally updates its web site with new documents as well. Shank Painter Road Improvements on the town web site >

Title page of the Shank Painter Road Project 75% engineering plans (April 2024)

April 2024

The 75% engineering plans were submitted to MassDOT on April 10. The Markings & Signage plans are the easiest to understand how the streets are configured in this version.

Here are all of the sections of the document broken into separate PDF files:

February 2024

Engineers are working on the details of drainage and a pump station to address the regular flooding on Court St., which has delayed the design process. The town is expecting to see the 75% engineering plans in April 2024.

June 2023

You can watch a replay of the MassDOT Design Public Hearing online and submit public comments using their online form. They ask for an email address, which is required to be able to submit any comments.

May 2023

MassDOT is holding a Design Public Hearing on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 5 PM in the Judge Welsh Room at Town Hall.

March 2023

At the March 27 meeting of the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization, they voted to approve the funding for the Shank Painter Road Project over a three-year period, starting in FY2025. This gives MassDOT more time to complete their design review, hold a public hearing, and move on to 75% and then 100% design to go out to bid. The estimated total cost of the project is currently just over $16.3M.

Presentation slide from the March 27, 2023 meeting of the Cape Cod Metropolitan Planning Organization.

February 2023

According to draft minutes of the February 10, 2023 meeting of the Cape Cod Joint Transportation Committee (CCJTC), the project is delayed:

“MassDOT also recommends pushing back the Provincetown Shank Painter Road project from FFY2024 to 2025 as this project is behind schedule.”

“Mr. Norton asked what is delaying the Provincetown Shank Painter Road Project. Barbara Lachance shared that MassDOT is working on obtaining a finalized Design Justification Workbook (DJW) and once received a design public hearing can take place. Tom Andrade expressed his concern about the turnaround time on plans for projects and how it effects the timeline of the projects.”

“Jim Fitzgerald from Environmental Partners shared that the Shank Painter Road Project had been delayed by several factors including the DJW, a new sewer pump station project element and the federal owned portion of Route 6 that is part of the project.”

April 2022

According to the April 2022 Town Manager’s report, the town and MassDOT have agreed to a construction schedule for the project. A bid package will go out in late 2023 and construction is expected to begin in fall 2024.