WESTBROOK – It’s common knowledge to people who live near Bridgton Road, otherwise known as the Route 302 corridor, that several intersections along the busy commuter lane are a nuisance at best, and life-threatening at worst.

But the wheels of the state Department of Transportation turn slowly, and with at least one intersection, where Hardy and Duck Pond roads meet the state highway, some fear the situation will worsen before it improves.

“We’re asking for fatalities,” said Dale Perry, who has lived at 824 Duck Pond Road, just around the corner from the intersection, for the past nine years.

It’s a busy spot, with the popular Highland Variety store and gas station close by, and no signal other than a single blinking light. The danger there became apparent just a few weeks ago, after a bad accident at the intersection sent a van careening within feet of the gas pumps, sparking new concern.

“The place is very dangerous,” said Westbrook City Councilor Mike Sanphy, a retired police officer, whose ward includes the intersection. “Had that car gone through and hit those gas pumps, anybody in that store would be dead.”

Now, work by the state on Whitney Bridge is worrying residents like Perry, who fears the work may increase the flow of cars and trucks into the area, which is an ominous sign. The bridge, Perry said, is about a quarter-mile down Duck Pond Road from the intersection. Also, he said, an empty storefront at a plaza at the intersection could be home to a business someday, and that would make things worse.

“That intersection is just an accident looking to happen,” Perry said.

State Traffic Engineer Bruce Ibarguen said the state is aware of concerns regarding Duck Pond Road, and engineers plan to conduct a traffic count survey in September.

“We’re waiting until September because we want the school-related traffic counted, too,” he said. “We’ll look at the numbers in September, and get back to the city with our findings.”

Last summer, the state worked on the Mill Brook Bridge and Little Bridge, which meant traffic had to be detoured onto a stretch of Route 302, putting pressure on the intersection where Pride and Brook streets meet. The city lobbied for the state to put in a left-turn lane and signal there to make it easier for westbound traffic to turn onto Pride Street.

But after the signal went in, it became apparent that a second lane and left-turn arrow signal was needed for eastbound traffic turning onto Brook Street. In response to calls for change, the city hired Gorrill-Palmer Consulting Engineers to do a study of the intersection, costing the city $675.

Despite residents’ concerns, Bryant said this week, the results of the study showed that the intersection isn’t dangerous enough to warrant the state taking the responsibility for putting in an extra signal.

Ted Talbot, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said this week that since the city hired Gorrill-Palmer, and not the state, to do the study, technically the city still has the option to contact the state to ask about getting something done, and so far, that hasn’t happened yet.

“The state still has not said no,” Talbot said.

But it hasn’t said yes yet, either, and until then, Sanphy and other residents are crossing their fingers, especially at the Duck Pond Road intersection.

“It’s only a matter of time before somebody gets killed up there,” Sanphy said.