Standing at the corner of Galena Boulevard and Broadway in downtown Aurora, a person can see a sight not seen in at least 50 years – a left-turn lane on Galena, for drivers traveling west.
That’s because it has been at least 50 years since anyone saw a car traveling west on Galena, at least legally.
Pavement marking and traffic signal installation has begun for the conversion of several Aurora streets from one-way to two-way operation, Galena included. But a press release from the city of Aurora said drivers “should be aware that the streets are still one-way streets until next month.”
That means while the pavement markings are in, they still are barricaded until December, when the city opens Galena Boulevard and New York Street as two-way, east-west streets through the city’s East Side, and River and Lake streets as two-way, north-south streets on the West Side of downtown.
On Galena and New York, the pavement has been marked for new two-way traffic. Galena will become two-way from Broadway to Ohio Street and New York will become two-way from Broadway to Smith Boulevard.
Each street is still just one way, with traffic reduced to just one lane on each street. The single lane allows crews to complete work and helps drivers become accustomed to driving in what will be the correct lane when the streets begin operating in both directions, according to city officials.
Weather permitting, both Galena Boulevard and New York Street will open as two-way streets in December.
Both River Street and Lake Street – from Gale Street to New York Street – will open to two-way, north-south traffic. Pavement markings are complete and new traffic signals will soon be installed on both thoroughfares. Again, both are still currently one-way streets with an expected conversion to two-way in December, weather permitting, officials said.
Anyone driving along River Street now can already see the new parking places and the wide, green multi-use path along River Street that will make the street more urban – walkable and bikable, city officials said.
Signs along all four streets will alert drivers to the change in traffic patterns in the days prior to the start of two-way operation, city officials said.
