A major artery in downtown Lawrence is getting a double bypass. Mayor Michael J. Sullivan said work will begin next week to change Essex Street from a one-way street to a two-way in an effort to draw in more traffic for downtown businesses. The city is also trying to make the area more attractive to businesses with a storefront improvement program and other beautification projects, he said. Flanked by city councilors, state representatives, and US Representative Niki Tsongas, Sullivan made the announcement last week standing under new banners on Essex Street that proclaim the area as the city's ``Historic Downtown District.'' The move comes as local leaders grapple with a spike in property foreclosures expected to reach more than 800 homes by the end of the year and an upcoming budget fight between the mayor and city councilors. Sullivan said that despite those economic challenges, Lawrence's downtown ``needed a spark'' to encourage more investment and shoppers. ``The timing for our downtown couldn't be better,'' he said of the projects. ``We need to be a [more] friendly street for traffic flow.'' Work to change Essex Street to a two-way will begin next week and is expected to end in July. New traffic lights and street and stop signs have to be installed. ``For the last 30 years, all we've been hearing is about the Essex Street of old,'' said Sullivan. ``Every Tuesday and Friday, Essex Street was the place to be. There were literally thousands of people who spent their days buying products up and down this street. But something changed.'' That change began when the street was turned into a one-way, and with the advent of shopping malls. Downtown Lawrence was never the same again. But since 2003, area business and civic leaders have been discussing the idea of returning Essex to the two-way street of three decades ago. City officials recently conducted a survey and found that nearly 95 percent of local businesses were in favor of the idea, said Sullivan.
Source: The Boston Globe
