The City of Oak Ridge on Friday said the recommended sight distance is already available at the intersection of Tyler Road and Tennessee Avenue, where the stoplight will be removed, and the city will be taking action to improve the line of sight for drivers looking left from Tyler Road.
An Oak Ridge Today reader had asked about obstructions at the intersection that affect visibility looking left from Tyler Road to Tennessee Avenue. There are two utility poles there, as well as a hospital sign and utility box, and the reader had mentioned vegetation and the roadside hill alongside the eastbound lanes of Tennessee Avenue.
This week, City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Sarah Self said the utility box, which appears to be the widest of the obstructions next to the intersection, will be removed when the traffic signal is decommissioned in October.
Public Works crews will soon trim the trees and other vegetation there to provide an extended view, Self said.
The city announced in July that a new stop sign would be installed and the traffic signal would be removed at the intersection, which is in the Jackson Square area in central Oak Ridge.
Traffic data compiled as part of a traffic study indicated that the change to a stop sign on Tyler Road and a right-of-way favoring Tennessee Avenue will decrease delays in the area, providing smoother traffic flow and maintaining a safe intersection, Self said.
“The change is being made after a traffic study indicated the traffic pattern and crash history at this location does not justify the need for a traffic signal,” the city said in July.
The existing signal was to be set to display a red flashing light to drivers on Tyler Road, indicating a stop condition, and flash yellow on Tennessee Avenue. After a period of 90 days, the signal will be removed, and the painted stop lines on Tennessee Avenue will also be removed.
Tyler Road runs between Subway and TNBank, and Magic Wok and Jackson Square Animal Clinic, before intersecting Tennessee Avenue near the tennis courts.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
You can contact John Huotari, owner and publisher of Oak Ridge Today, at (865) 951-9692 or [email protected].
Most news stories on Oak Ridge Today are free, brought to you by Oak Ridge Today with help from our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. This is a free story. Thank you to our advertisers, sponsors, and subscribers. You can see what we cover here.
Do you appreciate this story or our work in general? If so, please consider a monthly subscription to Oak Ridge Today. See our Subscribe page here. Thank you for reading Oak Ridge Today.
Copyright 2019 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Leave a Reply