Two-way travel will make it easier to drive into and around downtown Providence; pedestrians need to look both ways before entering street, motorists must obey speed limit and take extra safety precautions.
Motor vehicle travel on Empire and Weybosset Streets in downtown Providence are scheduled to become two-way this coming Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012. Lanes will become two-way early in the morning, before the morning commute.
Travel on Empire and Weybosset Streets are being restored to two-way for the first time since the 1970s as part of the Downtown Providence Traffic Circulation Improvements Phase II project. Restoring two-way travel on Empire and Weybosset Streets is expected to relieve traffic congestion and make it easier to drive into and around downtown Providence.
Traffic will be reconfigured as two-way on Weybosset Street from Empire Street to Dorrance Street, and on Empire Street between Fountain Street and Weybosset Street.
On Empire Street, two lanes will be created heading south toward Weybosset Street and one lane headed north toward Fountain Street. Curbside parking will be maintained on both sides of Empire Street, with parking spaces reconfigured from diagonal to parallel on the east side of the street.
Because Empire and Weybosset Streets have not been two-way since the 1970s, motorists and pedestrians need to take extra safety precautions. Pedestrians and motorists must look BOTH WAYS on Empire and Weybosset Streets before entering the crosswalk. Motorists need to OBEY SPEED LIMITS AND WATCH CAREFULLY FOR PEDESTRIANS while driving on Empire and Weybosset Streets.