Friday, June 24, 2016
Quincy Center traffic change tonight at 9 p.m.
The permanent transformation of traffic patterns in Quincy
Center – eliminating four lanes of traffic in front of the historic Church of
the Presidents – will take place beginning at 9 p.m. on Friday, June 24
Contractors must move barriers, paint new traffic lines, and
turn on new traffic signals – which will require detours in the Hancock Street
area between Dimmock, Coddington, and Washington and Granite streets from 9
p.m. until about 5 a.m. on Saturday, June 25.
When the change takes effect, vehicular traffic will no
longer travel in front of the historic First Parish Church, which is home to
the crypts of John and Abigail Adams and John Quincy and Louisa Catherine
Adams. The change will for the first time allow two-way traffic around
the Church, which is not only expected to improve traffic flow but dramatically
improve pedestrian access in the area.
The change sets the stage for the second phase of the Adams
Green park project by creating a new open space directly in front of the
church. Construction on park infrastructure is underway.
A map of the traffic changes can be viewed here, and here
are the highlights:
Hancock Street between the McIntyre Mall and past the
Church, CIty Hall and the Hancock Cemetery becomes a public space and no longer
open to vehicular traffic.
Hancock Street will take Southbound travellers around the
back of the Church to go straight on Washigton, left on Coddington Street or
right on Temple Street and back toward Hancock and Granite Street.
Northbound travellers will go around the Church on Temple
Street with no changes in the traffic pattern.
There will also be no changes in the traffic pattern for
travellers on Washington Street heading North toward Hancock Street.
Westbound drivers on Coddington can take the existing
right-hand turn past Presidents Place and onto Hancock Street or can travel
straight through the light onto Temple and toward Hancock.
