Traffic commission OKs Pope Street plan relying on two right-turn-only restrictions

 

By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — The Warsaw Traffic Commission appears to have come up with a way to greatly increase traffic flow for motorists passing through the Detroit, Pope, and Prairie Street intersections.

The board has struggled for years to come up with a solution, and on Wednesday threw their support behind a plan that relies on two right-turn only configurations.

The changes, along with some other road improvements, will be done next summer and is expected to cost about $300,000.

 Dustin Dillon, the city’s director of Public Works, said the new plan “Hits almost every one of the concerns … that we’ve had in the area and at a very cost-effective price,” he said.

The changes would result in the following:

Traffic coming east on Prairie (around the corner) will be right turn only on to Pope Street. Motorists headed west on Pope Street will be right turn only heading north to Winona. Those driving south from Winona Avenue (on Detroit Street) will still be permitted to go east on to South Pope or continue on south on South Detroit to Prairie, Dillon said.

The traffic commission looked at numerous options, before turning to a consultant.

“We’ve looked at all-way stop signs, we’ve looked at traffic signals, we’ve looked at the roundabout. This was the simplest, most cost-effective that fit into and with the normal road maintenance that we’re going to perform anyway.

Construction of one or two roundabouts as a long-term solution remains an option for the future, but Dillon said that would be years away and would face financial hurdles. 

A long-term plan suggested roundabouts be constructed at Pope and Detroit streets and another at Pope and McClellan streets.

“There’s going to have to be a lot more development, a lot more economic triggers … to get to that point,” he said.

 

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