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Intersection of 7th and Burlington put into flashing mode
The Nebraska Department of Transportation’s contractor - IES Commercial Inc., of Holdrege is continuing with upgrades to the traffic signals on US Highway 34/281 (Burlington Avenue).
Seventh Street
The traffic signals at the intersection with Seventh Street have been upgraded and were placed in flashing mode the morning of Friday, Dec. 15. The north/south signals for Burlington Avenue traffic are flashing yellow and the east/west signals for 7th Street are flashing red. The pedestrian signals are out-of-service and will remain bagged till the signals are put into normal operation (currently scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 20). Once on normal operation, Seventh Street will be opened.
Initially motorists on Seventh Street approaching Burlington Avenue were restricted to right turn only by signs, but many motorists were not complying. After a crash and many near-misses by motorists tuning left onto Burlington Avenue or trying to cross Burlington Avenue, Seventh Street was closed to all approaching traffic. Any traffic on Burlington Avenue is allowed to turn left or right onto 7th Street.
14th Street
The contractor will start with signal work at 14th Street on Monday, Dec. 18. The timing of the closing of 14th Street for approaching traffic will depend on how fast Monday’s signal work proceeds.
Work Zone Traffic Control on Ninth, 12th, 14th & 16th Streets
As work proceeds to Ninth, 12th, 14th and 16th, all side streets approaching Burlington Avenue will be closed to approaching traffic.
Traffic on Burlington Avenue will NOT BE ABLE TO TURN LEFT onto side streets.
Traffic on Burlington Avenue will BE ABLE TO TURN RIGHT onto side streets.
In summary – the following movements will be allowed
Northbound – 2 through movements
Northbound – right turn
Southbound – 2 through movements
Southbound – right turn
Interconnection
With the upgrade project, the interconnection to other signalized intersections along Burlington Avenue will be out-of-service. The interconnect project to switch from hard-wired connections to wireless is scheduled for late winter or early spring of 2024 following follow IES’s signal upgrade project.
Why not 4-way Stop?
Both the City of Hastings and the NDOT have received suggestions that the intersections be set up as all-way (4-way) stops during the time the signals are out-of-service. The rules of the road in Nebraska State Statute Chapter 60 provide that:
“(5)(a)If a traffic control signal at an intersection is not operating because of a power failure or other cause and no peace officer, flagperson, or other traffic control device is providing direction for traffic at the intersection, the intersection shall be treated as a multi-way stop…”
and
“(5)(b) If a traffic control signal is not in service and the signal heads are turned away from traffic or covered with opaque material, subdivision (a) of this subdivision shall not apply…”
Other traffic control devices are in place with Road Work Ahead signs in the area and Stop Signs on side streets for motorists approaching Burlington Avenue. The city and state engineers have experience with large intersections controlled by all-way stop signs and the intersections function very poorly when there are more than 6 or 8 approach lanes. Some of the Burlington Avenue intersections have 12 approach lanes, so all-way stops are not being considered.
Second and Third Streets are in normal operating mode
The traffic and pedestrian signals at the intersections of Second and Third Streets have been upgraded and are operating normally (without interconnect)
North Shore Drive
The WZTC for the signal work at the intersection with North Shore Drive may be different than the earlier intersections.
The City & NDOT realize this traffic control plan will push traffic to other intersections along Burlington Avenue. Motorists are encouraged to use the signalized intersections along Burlington, consider other alternate travel routes, or plan for additional time to safely reach your destination. And, as always, please drive with caution through work zones for your safety, safety of other motorists, and safety for roadway workers. While it’s not a City project, we will continue to help the NDOT get the word out in as many ways as we can such as social media, newspaper, TV, radio, and press releases.
Published Date: 12/15/2023