OUR VIEW: Upgrades needed at dangerous intersections

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OUR VIEW

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What’s your most feared intersection in Mitchell? We suspect most everyone has one — a corner that’s just a bit unnerving during high traffic, requiring not only our own attention but also trust that all other nearby drivers are being just as cautious.

For us, it’s the corner of Burr and Norway in south Mitchell. That corner is a six-lane cluster of confusion, especially during tourist season. Not only is Burr a four-lane highway at that point, but service roads on each side of Burr make that intersection balky and dangerous. Restaurants with two driveways each are located at three of the corner’s four points and two large retail stores — Kmart and Campbell’s — are less than a block away.

So it was no big surprise when a Daily Republic report noted that the Burr-Norway intersection has been the city’s most accident-prone over the past six years. Thirty-seven mishaps have occurred there during that span, including 12 that caused injury.

Another concern in Mitchell is the corner of Havens and Rowley, located near the M&H convenience store. With the rise of many retail stores south of Interstate 90, it didn’t take locals long to figure out that Rowley is a good shortcut to that southern shopping district. The result is that the intersection has been the site of 23 accidents over the past six years, including nine that caused injury.

The state Department of Transportation has concluded that during one 12-month period, at least five accidents at the corner could have been prevented had a stoplight been in place. That conclusion has led the DOT to call for traffic lights at the Havens-Rowley intersection.

Too, work will be done to straighten Rowley, which currently includes a bit of a bend at that site. It’s likely this process will begin next year.

We’re glad to hear about these improvements.

No doubt, motorists will be frustrated. The construction will create delays, and the stop light will no doubt slow traffic. But this is for the better, and we are convinced this dangerous intersection will be safer when the work is completed.

As for the nasty corner at Burr-Norway, that will continue to exist as is. We don’t know the answer to remedy this problem, but we do know a problem exists. We urge caution at that site, and also suggest parents discuss this corner with their young drivers.

Tags: opinion, editorials, local, mitchell, traffic, roads, streets, updates