Rawlins Cross becoming Rawlins roundabout as city replaces traffic lights with yield signs
Pilot project aims to improve traffic flow at complicated intersection
Long-awaited — or long-dreaded — change is coming to St. John's Rawlins Cross this weekend.
Work has started on a pilot project that hopes to improve traffic flow around the intersection and should be completed this weekend.
"We've already started construction, and folks will notice a few new pavement markings and signs around Rawlins Cross right now," said Garrett Donaher, manager of transportation engineering for the City of St. John's.
Traffic signals being covered up
"Over the next couple of days as we make the big changeover, people will see that the traffic signals will be bagged and covered up … There'll be new yield signs at every single entrance as you come into Rawlins Cross, so you'll yield as you enter, or if there's pedestrians on any of the crosswalks, you'll yield to them."
Traffic will move counter-clockwise around the intersection without traffic lights, with drivers exiting onto whichever street they wish, again yielding to pedestrians.
Traffic moving east on Military Road will be required to turn right onto Prescott Street, then left onto Queens Road, and left again on Kings Road before going either right onto Military Road or straight on Rennie's Mill Road.
The section of Military Road between Prescott Street and Rennies Mill Road will be closed to traffic entirely during the pilot project.
The city is hoping to cut down on the number of collisions happening around the intersection, as well as improve traffic flow during busy times. They hope the changes will also reduce the need for drivers to wait at long red lights in the evenings when traffic is light.
Area residents expressed concerns at a public meeting last month to explain how the intersection would work.
Many critics of the plan said they didn't feel the changes would do anything to improve pedestrian safety, and worry that replacing traffic lights — which have walk signals — with crosswalks will make things more dangerous for pedestrians.
Monitoring the area
Donaher says the city will be monitoring the area carefully.
"Typically when we have bigger changes like this, there's a little bit of a learning curve, an adjustment period, so we absolutely expect there'll be some consternation over the first few days, maybe couple of weeks," he said.
"But things usually tend to settle down as people get familiar with the new pattern and we're really hopeful that the changes to delay and improvement of safety at the intersection will prove really beneficial for the travelling public."