Portsmouth Residents Oppose Roundabout Project In Heated Town Council Meeting

PORTSMOUTH, RI — Hundreds of Portsmouth residents packed Thursday's town council meeting in opposition to a proposed plan to construct a roundabout on the state-run East Main Road.

After hours of public comment, the council voted to get more information from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) before deciding whether to approve the project.

If approved, the plan would call for the installation of a roundabout at East Main Road's intersection with Turnpike Avenue. The plan also calls for repaving the road and adding sidewalks.

RIDOT and several councilors argue the plan will slow down drivers without creating constant traffic jams and reduce the number of car crashes.

"Change is difficult; it will take time to get used to, given all the options we have, but I do firmly believe a roundabout is the best solution for that intersection," Town Councilor Daniela Abbot said.

The vast majority of residents who spoke at the meeting opposed the proposed roundabout. Some doubted the impact it would have on safety. Others argued the plan would make the intersection less safe, while others said the town would be better off considering other locations.

"A roundabout being in place or not in place is not going to reduce, unless we have enforcement, the amount of traffic, and the amount of speed of that traffic," resident Kevin Fennessey said.

"It's not that well-thought-out, as most people kind of see," resident Cyril Brown said. "Am I opposed to it? No, but I am opposed to the location of it. It could be used elsewhere in Portsmouth."

Several Portsmouth residents also said they were unhappy, because RIDOT had no representatives at the meeting.

Members of the local business community also expressed concerns for how construction would affect business. Clements Marketplace owner Tracy Anthony said the length of the time the project will take and the scope of its construction will take customers away from her business, as well as others nearby.

"Harmful economic effects will be long-lasting, some businesses won’t survive," Anderson said. "There are much less invasive ways to make this area safer without spending millions of dollars to construct a roundabout that will take years to complete at the inconvenience of residents and a deterioration of local business."

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