Mixed feelings on new rotary in Warwick

By: Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

WARWICK, R.I. – Drivers in Warwick were met with a change in their commute Tuesday.

Though most knew there would be new traffic patterns, it still caught a couple of drivers off guard when they hit the Apponaug circulator.

"What I intended to do was to come to this plaza, I ended up going all the way that way because of the rotary it was more like pushing me in that direction," said Mitchell Feinstein.

The rotary Warwick native, Mitchell Feinstein is referring to is the one which drivers can now enter and get off at Veterans Memorial Drive, Greenwich Ave., and Veterans Memorial Drive extension.

All are now permanently two way streets.

With this change, the section of Centerville Rd. carrying eastbound traffic into Apponaug will close to through traffic and drivers will use the new Veterans Memorial Drive extension instead.

One concern amongst drivers ABC6 News spoke with is relying on people to yield when entering the rotaries."

"I think it first it’s going to be a little chaotic because people don’t know what’s going on and I know a lot of people don’t yield and they’re supposed to yield," said Casey Miserandino. "It just seems like to me you’re relying on a lot of people to yield when they’re not going to yield."

RIDOT says one goal of the overall project is to reduce the amount of traffic and travel time downtown, but drivers have mixed feelings.

"It seems like a lot of expense for this congestion," said Judy Crowley. "I think once we get used to it and people have a little more experience going around in circles I think it’s going to work."

RIDOT says the traffic pattern changes are done as of Tuesday, but the project isn’t quite complete.

There’s another intersection they’re turning into a rotary and they have some other construction planned, as well.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2016