GLOCESTER - Town leaders didn't pull any punches last Thursday during a Town Council meeting, making it clear their displeasure with the Department of Transportation traffic safety "experiment" at the corner of routes 44 and 102 off Main Street.

They also told DOT officials attending the meeting they want the changes removed.

"It's more screwed up than it has ever been," said Town Council member William Reichert.

A solution looking for a problem, chimed fellow council member Edward Burlingame.

And more alarming, the state's reconfiguration of the busy state intersection forces tractor trailers to drive into oncoming traffic in order to make the new hairpin turn coming off Route 102, according to George "Buster" Steere, who identified himself as a commercial truck driver.

"What's there now does not work," said Town Council President Walter Steere III, calling the intersection a "hazard."

DOT staff joined the public meeting after local state lawmakers intervened on the town's behalf and asked the state agency to submit alternative plans to town councilors and get their approval for any future changes.

"We're open to suggestions. It's clear the town isn't happy with what's out there," said DOT representative Robert Smith, deputy chief engineer.

The work at the intersection is meant to slow traffic in the residential neighborhood and part of a larger state road improvement project along Main Street. It is set to go out to bid in approximately three months, according to Smith.

It's not unusual for DOT to try out different methods when working on road safety measures and allows them to tweak projects before final plans are made, said Smith. He admitted this experiment failed.

Last summer work crews painted striping along the entrance to Route 102 in a configuration where DOT plans to install curbing and sidewalks to narrow the road and alter what Smith called "sea of asphalt." He said the plan was meant to get drivers accustomed to the new scheme.

He acknowledged it became a hazard when some drivers ignored the markings and crossed over it while turning onto Route 102. Some vehicles nearly collided with other drivers using the new approach.

That's when the temporary plastic orange paddles were erected to prevent motorists from traveling over the striping, he said.

Several town councilors joked that they saw drivers knocking down the paddles with their vehicles as they made the turn.

On Friday, only one of the plastic devices remained on the road.

Smith said alternative measures at the intersection could mean adding an island or leaving it a straight through to Route 102.

It was the later plan that councilor George "Buster" Steere said he'd support.

The larger DOT project includes repaving the stretch of road down Chepachet center, rebuilding sidewalks and installing new street lighting.

In addition to work on the intersection at routes 44 and 102, the intersection at routes 100 and 102 located the other end of Main Street are set for similar reconfiguration.

The Town Council president said he would meet with fellow councilors and review materials provided by DOT and make a decision about changes to the intersection.

Smith said later that the intersection would be restored to the original condition within a few weeks.