MDOT repairs traffic signal at 51, Yandell after wreck

MDOT repairs traffic signal at 51, Yandell after wreck

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GLUCKSTADT — Traffic should be moving more efficiently at U.S. 51 and Yandell Road after the Mississippi Department of Transportation completed repairs Monday morning on traffic signal wires that were damaged in an accident at the intersection last week.

The lights were damaged after an 18-wheeler hit the signal poles last week and tore them from the ground, damaging the vehicle detection loop wires under the street, MDOT officials said. 

Michael Flood, public information officer for the MDOT Public Affairs Division, said MDOT’s engineers have monitored the traffic signals daily since the accident.

“The heavier traffic and fixed signal times made driving through this intersection, especially during rush hour, a lot more complicated,” Flood said.

Traffic Signal Systems and Operations Engineer for MDOT, Edward Raymond, said the signals were on a fixed time mode while the repairs were underway.

“When detection isn’t working, it’s pretty inefficient. It has caused a lot of problems,” Raymond said. “The signals were set to run at the maximum amount of time, which results in a lot of delays and traffic backup.”

Raymond said when the 18-wheeler hit the traffic pole, it pulled out wires from under the street and ripped them in half. 

He said MDOT had considered converting the lights to radar or video detection system if the wires were not repairable, an option they are considering for the future. The wires, however, were repairable and MDOT officials will be monitoring the timing in the coming days to ensure the traffic is flowing efficiently.

Raymond said MDOT engineers said traffic is currently heavier than normal due to people going back to work and schools being in session.

“The heavier traffic is why we made sure the wires were fixed as soon as possible,” Raymond said. “We’re facing a capacity issue with this traffic. If we fix the lights and the problem isn’t solved, we might need to add a couple of new lanes.”






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