A block of Burnell Boulevard in Norwalk will be changed from one-way to two-way traffic, echoing the calls from a mural that was painted at the corner of Burnell Boulevard and Belden Avenue a year ago.

"I've commissioned over I think 100 pieces of artwork in the neighborhood, and so the worst ones are the ones I painted," joked Jason Milligan, the man who painted the mural.

But Milligan is more than just an artist - he is a real estate broker and re-developer, who has some of the buildings on that one-way block between Belden Boulevard and River Street.

"I hope (the mural) doesn't come across as anything but cooperative, that's the way it should be," said Milligan. It should have been maybe slightly provocative, like 'what's happening here - what are we doing?' It wasn't on everybody's radar."

With the current one-way setup, cars on Belden Boulevard, which is a busy street, have to make a big loop from the intersection where the sign is in order to get to the Yankee Doodle Garage, which is one of the city's major parking facilities.

Milligan says doing that is incredible inconvenient.

"We're trying to attract more businesses, so having that two-way will help," he explained.

Starting Monday, he will get his wish, and life will imitate art, as for the first time in decades, the city will indeed make Burnell Boulevard two-way again.

"We had some community meetings, and then when we started looking at how the traffic operations worked, it just flows much better if it's two-ways," explained Jim Travers, director of transportation, mobility and parking for Norwalk.

City officials say those meeting were going on before the mural even went up, so they took it as a sign of support.

"I love seeing the excitement from the community and the community getting involved," Norwalk's assistant director of transportation, mobility and parking, Garrett Bolella, said about the mural.

Officials add the change is happening now because of Norwalk's new Transit District Plan, which includes bus stops moving from diagonals on one side Burnell Boulevard, to horizontal spots on either side, which will give it more room, and is also being rolled out next week.

"We saw the opportunity, we're not waiting, we're going to make sure it happens now, and it's really successful," said Bolella.

"The squeaky wheel perhaps gets the grease, I mean, who knows, it may have happened just like this without the mural, but who knows, I'm happy it's happening," said Milligan, when asked if he thinks he deserves credit.

Milligan says once the road is officially changed, he will be painting over the mural and making it something that celebrates the area.