BRISTOL – Mayor Jeff Caggiano has announced the start of roadwork on Riverside Avenue and Memorial Boulevard which is designed to improve safety and traffic flow in the area and create bike lanes in both directions.
Caggiano said in an update on the Mayor’s Office Facebook page that city and state roadways projects will be coinciding on Memorial Boulevard and Riverside Avenue next week, coming out of the Labor Day weekend. The affected area will be Riverside Avenue and Memorial Boulevard to where the temporary city hall is located on Main Street.
“There will be some traffic delays through the area,” said Caggiano. “The state will primarily be working at night and the city crews will be working during the day. They will be doing one lane at a time, so none of these roads will be completely closed to traffic.”
Milling, paving and lining work will take place from Aug. 31 through Sept. 21. on Memorial Boulevard and Riverside Avenue. The project, in partnership with the Department of Public Works, will be included in the fall work schedule. The area will be considered a “work zone” and drivers are advised to use caution.
For the past 10 years, Caggiano said, there has been a plan to create a bicycle lane, accessible to pedestrians, each way on Memorial Boulevard. The construction of the bridge over the Pequabuck River will also be finalized.
“This project was delayed due to a lack of granite,” Caggiano said.
Caggiano said that these projects, along with the recently completed BAIMS (Bristol Arts & Innovation Magnet School), will leave the area much better off than it was.
“We’re trying to get all of the work done prior to the start of the Mum Festival later this September,” he said.
According to a graphic about the project shared by the Mayor’s Office page, the paving project will result in new traffic patterns. Drivers can expect to see new directional signals, road markings and traffic signs.
The graphic states that benefits to the new roadway configuration will include connectivity of local bike infrastructure, traffic calming, increased safety, making the area more walk-able for pedestrians and an “overall healthier community environment.”
The city encourages residents to “stay tuned” for more information about the bike lane and “shared roadway etiquette.”
According to a 2020 community survey, 27% of Bristol households ranked having bike trails as one of the most important facilities to them.
Brian M. Johnson can be reached at 860-973-1806 or bjohnson@bristolpress.com.
