EAST PROVIDENCE — Willett Avenue will soon gain a bike lane and lose a traffic lane in each direction under a R.I. Department of Transportation resurfacing project.
The "road diet" project will reduce the stretch of road in East Providence and Barrington from two lanes to one traffic lane in each direction while adding a buffer-separated bike path on both sides of the road.
The traffic lane reduction preceded the bike lane concept, according to a RIDOT press release, which states that "the reduction of a travel lane provided an opportunity for the installation of a bike lane to make it safer to bike along this road."
The project is part of a broader effort to resurface numerous East Bay roads.
"Road diets are a proven traffic calming measure to reduce speed and improve safety for turning traffic and pedestrians crossing the road," the state transportation department continued. "RIDOT has implemented road diets in numerous communities across Rhode Island."
The lane reduction begins at the intersection of Willett Avenue and Metropolitan Park Drive in East Providence and runs through the County Road traffic circle in Barrington.
The new bike lanes, meanwhile, will stretch eastbound from Willett Avenue to Richmond Avenue in East Providence, and westbound from the County Road traffic circle in Barrington to Metropolitan Park Drive in East Providence.
The buffer zone will consist of diagonal hash lines between bike and traffic lanes, in addition to signage and stenciled bike symbols on the bike lane surfaces.
The new bike lanes could could connect to future cycling infrastructure projects and are located a short distance from the East Bay Bike Path, RIDOT notes, with completion anticipated around Nov. 8 depending on weather. The department has already begun striping and initial layout work.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.