One way signs on W. Washington Avenue in Jackson will soon become a thing of the past. The effort to convert an eight block stretch of W. Washington Avenue from one-way traffic to two-way began on Monday, Oct. 4. This conversion project is expected to take four weeks to complete, with an end date set for Friday, Oct. 29.
The process to convert this roadway began on Oct. 4, with barricades and traffic cones placed to close the north side of W. Washington and allow only the eastbound traffic to proceed in the one lane on the south side. On Monday, Oct. 18, the north side of the street will be open to westbound traffic, leaving the traffic cones in the center to allow drivers to adjust to the new traffic pattern. On Friday, Oct. 29, the cones will be removed, allowing the street to operate as a normal two-way street.
The City's Engineering Division initially planned to do the conversion in Nov., but decided to move up the project to an earlier start date so the street could be painted before the onset of winter weather. The project timeline was also advanced to be completed before Halloween, as this is a popular trick-or-treating area.
This section of W. Washington Avenue is being converted to increase traffic flow in the area. It is also the last section of one-way street to be converted in this neighborhood. The entirety of Franklin Street and another five-block section of W. Washington was converted over the 2018-2020 construction seasons. W. Washington has also seen a sharp decrease in traffic, meaning as one-way is no longer needed.
Questions about the conversion should be directed to the Engineering Division at 517-788-4160.