Even before the New England Institute of Technology moved to town, the crossroad of South County Trail and Division Street was the most congested intersection in East Greenwich. "Without a doubt it's the busiest," said Lt. Jim Poccia of the East Greenwich Police. "Between 3 and 5 in the afternoon it routinely gridlocks." But even with more than 1,000 students slated to start commuting to the new New England Tech campus starting in January, state traffic experts expect the situation will get better, not worse. That's because there are a series of road and traffic improvements in the works that…

Much has been made about the increase in traffic that will occur when classes really kick in at the New England Institute of Technology on Division and South County Trail. But for the businesses in this part of East Greenwich, more people isn't a bad thing. At the nearby 1149 Restaurant, Tom Wright "unequivocally" feels there will be a positive impact from the college. The student body, he said, will need a variety of goods and services from the local community and there will probably be various activities that will generate business.  "The business impact will be felt by many," he said. …

They don't have to wear hard hats, but the 75 nursing students who are taking classes at the East Greenwich campus of New England Tech are trailblazers in a building that remains largely a construction site. These students won't be alone much longer. The campus is set to open to an additional 1,100 students on January 3, including those in information technology, surgical technology, and physical and occupational therapies. "We've been working toward this for a long time," said Philip Parsons, vice president and general counsel for NEIT. Anyone driving by the former Brooks building at 1408…