West Main Roundabout Proposal Gets Public Hearing Tonight [VIDEO]

Few people in town would disagree that West Main Road's Coddington Highway and Two-Mile Corner junctions can get a little hairy.

As Middletown considers two very different options for improving those intersections, now is the time for the public to weigh in on proposed roundabout traffic circles.

Tonight, the Planning Board will hold a Public Hearing at Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. to gather input on the proposal from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT).

Despite some concerns over authority, procedures, effectiveness and lack of public input to date, the Middletown Town Council last month voted to allow the proposal for traffic circle and Coddington Highway to proceed for public review at tonight's meeting.

The Planning Board is tasked with preparing a recommendation for the town to consider on whether to proceed with the project. The Town Council retains final voting authority and is likely to take a final vote on the matter as early as August.

The proposal, put together by RIDOT, stems from an island-wide traffic study project managed by the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission over the last two years.

If Middletown ultimately rejects traffic roundabouts for West Main Road, instead the town will need to give the go-ahead for RIDOT to pursue the new signalization project, Town Council President Art Weber said at the time of the council vote.

 “We have to tell RIDOT what we want," he said. "There’s about $5 million [in federal funds] set aside for the project already."

For More Information

• See or print tonight's meeting agenda in the image gallery.
• The RIDOT presentation and computerized simulations can be viewed in the photo gallery above.
• Visit the RIDOT website for more information on this project.