TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
In response to residents’ requests and in the interest of increasing safety, Merrill Street Department crew is in the process of identifying and marking many of the City’s most dangerous uncontrolled intersections and plans to install new signs regulating those crossroads. Over the years, issues in residential areas have grown, as motorists do not take proper precautions and do not yield at unmarked intersections, leading to many traffic accidents and crashes with automobiles coming to rest on sidewalks and in front yards.
“I would say that after living on this corner for almost eight years and seeing three accidents and too many close calls to count, that it’s nice to see the city taking this more seriously,” said Jenna Kreinke, homeowner on one of the corners where new signs will be installed. “And hopefully there will not be any uncontrolled intersections in Merrill soon. I worry so much about the kids that are around us and playing outside, especially now that the weather is nicer, I just hope that drivers are responsible and abide by them,”
Dustin Bonack, Street Superintendent for the Merrill Street Department, confirmed the City is planning to install signs at currently uncontrolled intersections. “A few years ago Chief Bennett and I decided it was time to start tackling the problem of accidents at uncontrolled intersections,” Bonack said. “There didn’t seem to be any pattern as to where these intersections were located throughout the city, so we started installing stop signs in sections of town where we routinely get the most complaints from motorists or neighbors about close calls or accidents.”
Bonack said the Police Department maps traffic accidents by location and those maps “show a strong correlation to uncontrolled intersections.”
“Last summer we took care of the area east of Center Ave. and north of E. Main St.,” Bonack said. “We installed new stop signs and added orange flags to help alert motorists to the new traffic controls.”
“This summer our focus will be on the area west of Center Ave., north of E. Main and east of the Prairie River.”
“Some might wonder why we don’t just install them at every intersection in one year and get it over with,” Bonack said. “The answer comes down to time and money. We have a limited sign replacement budget that needs to be used for projects like these, as well as the regular replacement of signs that are aged or hit in accidents.”
“Since we started this initiative, I have only received positive feedback and no complaints,” Bonack said. “I can also tell you that as a motorist who has had a few close calls at uncontrolled intersections, it gives me a better sense of confidence when traveling through them that the cross traffic is controlled.”
“We hope to start this year’s project early this summer,” he said. Most of the locations where the signs will be installed have been marked with white-painted posts.
“Like in the past, we will install orange flags to the tops of the poles to help draw attention to the new traffic control,” he added.