SUTTON, Mass. – The Route 146 Vision Study is looking at the stretch of highway between The Shoppes at Blackstone in Millbury and the Rhode Island state line.

Right at the heart of it is the intersection at Boston Road in Sutton. Soon, it’ll be the only signalized intersection on 146, and there’s a long-term goal of taking those traffic lights away as well.

“Since 146 has been built in the last two decades, and having actual intersection with a signalized intersections there, there were only two in the entire corridor," Sujatha Krishnan said. "One was in Rhode Island. One was in Massachusetts at Boston Road. So, it has always been a long-range priority for the region to have this intersection become an interchange.”

The Central Mass Regional Planning Commission’s deputy executive director said making the switch to an interchange would make the busy highway safer and relieve traffic congestion, which is only expected to get worse in the coming years.

MassDOT held the first public information meeting for the Route 146 Corridor Vision Study on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

The intersection was expanded in 2015 to create additional lanes. Krishnan said travel on 146 is growing with the Blackstone Valley region.

“One forty six, I think, it's the location, location, location, easy access, access to Rhode Island," Krishnan said. "You can go to Connecticut. You can go to 495. It's the location. And also the towns are welcoming to businesses to accommodate this growth, the residential, light industrial, commercial and other things.”

MassDOT continues to gather public input with another public meeting expected to be scheduled. Krishnan is glad the state is still in the early stages of planning so residents, businesses and towns along Route 146 can help shape the future of the highway.

“I'm very excited that we are we are actually looking at this not just as a quick fix holistically, we are looking at the corridor, not just at that intersection," Krishnan said. "The process that MassDOT has adopted where they're actually studying, the planning, again, rather than just starting to design a project because they know that it's important.”

We spoke to a nearby business off-camera who said they hope the intersection stays relatively the same with the traffic lights still in place.

A final report on the state’s findings is expected in the spring of next year.