No parking on the south side of the street until tomorrow. Abraham Rodriguez of DGJ Electrical installed “No Turn on Red” and “Yield to Pedestrians” signs at the corner of Chapel and College streets Monday afternoon — as some of the last work to be done before the city converts two dow ntown blocks from one-way to two-way traffic. That long-planned two-way conversion of Chapel Street between College Street and York Street is set to go into effect Tuesday, weather permitting. As of around 1:30 p.m. Monday, city spokesperson Lenny Speiller told the Independent that the Elicker administration’s goal is still to complete the two-way conversion by Tuesday. The rainy forecast, however, might impact “the ability of the work crews to get everything done.” “The markings and sign switches have already started,” he said, “and we’re pushing as hard as we can to make it happen” by Tuesday. Those two blocks of Chapel currently contain two lanes for westbound vehicle traffic, as well as on-street parking on both the north and south sides of the street. When the conversion is done, there will be one eastbound lane and one westbound lane for vehicle traffic; there will still be on-street parking on both the north and south sides, too. On Monday afternoon, the parking spots on the south side of the street were blocked off by orange traffic cones. “Emergency Order” signs were posted on trees and poles on the south side of the blocks, indicating that no parking was allowed between 9 a.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday. “Restoring this section of Chapel Street so that vehicles can travel again in both directions will help improve traffic flow, reduce speeding, and improve safety for all users,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in a text-message alert sent out on Sunday. “Other accompanying improvements include new and improved pedestrian crossing signals and timing, traffic signals and timing, and high-visibility crosswalks.” He noted in the Sunday message that there will be partial lane closures on Monday night beginning at 8 p.m. “When the street reopens, on-road signage will be in place to alert and guide drivers and pedestrians to the new traffic pattern. Additionally, there will be police officers and crossing guards present to help ensure everyone’s safety during the initial adjustment period. Please pay attention, exercise caution, and slow down as folks adjust to the new and improved traffic pattern.” The Elicker administration initially installed roadway signs announcing this two-block, two-way conversion on Chapel Street in May 2025. The city’s Traffic Authority, however, delayed and then rejected the conversion plan amid concerns about fire safety, parking, and traffic congestion. The Traffic Authority ultimately approved an amended version of the plan in October 2025. On Monday, Rodriguez said that all of the electrical work needed to update the traffic lights and pedestrian-crossing signals to allow for this two-way conversion was completed back then. Nearly a year later, that conversion is now about to happen. This Chapel Street switched marks the first time the city has converted a one-way road to two-way since July 2024, when the Elicker administration converted a one-block stretch of York Street, running underneath the Air Rights Garage between South Frontage and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. While funded through a separate, $550,000 grant, Tuesday’s two-block conversion represents a piece of the Elicker administration’s broader efforts to improve a 1.6-mile stretch of Chapel Street — an $11 million project that involves converting the one-way portion of Chapel to two-way traffic; installing new, coordinated traffic signals; and building high-visibility crosswalks. Farewell, one-way block. The post 2-Way Chapel Teed Up For Tuesday appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less