ORLANDO, Fla. – Downtown Orlando is undergoing major changes to make the area easier to navigate and attract more visitors.
This week, News 6 reported on the “The Canopy” project under I-4 that the city is pushing forward with give people a place to hang out downtown. On Tuesday, the city is launching another phase of its downtown action plan focused on Magnolia Avenue.
The street, which has been one-way since the 1950s, will soon allow two-way traffic between South Street and Livingston Avenue. At 10:30 a.m., city officials will be breaking ground on phase one of the project.
Magnolia Avenue will be closed between Livingston Street and Jefferson Street for about six weeks. All other intersections will stay open.
“Well, I’ve never been a huge fan of one-way streets. You know, downtown. It’s very prolific in certain areas and I just never really understood it. A two-way is more conducive to traffic,” Roger Woodside said about the project.
According to the city, the conversion will create a safer, more welcoming street for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists while supporting the small businesses, restaurants and shops along the corridor.
[WATCH: Church Street business anticipates boost from ‘The Canopy’]
As the first step in reimagining downtown infrastructure, the project advances the downtown action plan by delivering phased improvements and setting the stage for a larger, long-term streetscape transformation.
This project is a redesign of Magnolia Avenue, from South Street north toward Livingston Street, to create a safer, more intuitive and more walkable downtown corridor. This phase will convert Magnolia Avenue back to a two-way street, remove most of the dedicated LYMMO bus lane, integrate bus operations into regular traffic, add on-street parking and upgrade sidewalks, landscaping and overall streetscape features.
Limited parking, narrow sidewalks and a confusing one-way design have made it difficult for patrons to visit restaurants and stores on the street.
[WATCH: Orlando City Council to select contractor for Church Street redevelopment project]
“Oh, this area is one way. So, it’s people, a lot of people get confused,” Thai Palace server Thanom Rattana told News 6.
The Thai Palace team is excited about the improvements.
“Now there is going to be a direct road. So, it will be easy for new people,” Rattana explained.
Eventually, a stretch of Orange Avenue will also become two-way, allowing similar enhancements to encourage visitors.
The first phase of work on Magnolia Avenue is expected to take six months. For more information on the project, click here.