The addition of Chick Fil A added a few wrinkles to the make-up of the Newport Pavilion. After the anchor stores were set in place, it was the most talked about retailer in the new development and it has not been a disappointment. The double drive-thrus are constantly packed and the population of “Toddler Town” inside the restaurant may top that of the population of Woodlawn.
One thing that the developers may have not anticipated is the traffic.
The single lanes on Pavilion Parkway, especially heading toward Carothers Road are mind-numbingly blocked. Especially in the afternoon.
Add in the fact that the exits off 471 are in stages of being closed, and the construction going on across the Pavilion Parkway where Dick’s Sporting Goods is being put up and you can find yourself stuck in that traffic for 5-10 minutes for traveling just over a few hundred yards.
Even with the assistance of Newport Police directing traffic, the additions to the Newport Pavilion have hit a tipping point. Something has got to give.
I reached out to my contact at Anchor Associates and the City of Newport to see what, if any, long-term solutions are in place to fix the traffic woes.
“(With) construction on I-471, the ramps and  at Newport Pavilion can create a traffic problem.   Carothers Road will still need to be raised, the intersection will need to be lined up with the two retail centers, there will be lane changes and stacking lanes added. It will just take some time to complete all of the work needed to finish the projects.”
The lane changes and stacking lanes cannot come soon enough. Even with all the talk of raising Carothers Road, my mind cannot comprehend what that will look like. All I know right now is that I try my best to stay away from the Pavilion. Off the top of my head, changing the timing of the light at the 4-way intersection of Carothers Road and Pavilion Parkway would alleviate some headaches.
Down the road, simply adding an exit point to the other side of Chick Fil A and a right-turn only, heading south on Carothers Road would help immensely.
The City of Newport let me know that the Newport Police Department was in charge of traffic questions and at the time of publishing, they had not returned inquiries on the issue.
