LOWELL | The redesign and subsequent construction of the town's most dangerous intersection at Ind. 2 and Burr Street has inadvertently created new safety issues, Police Chief John Shelhart said.
For that reason, Shelhart asked for, and received, the Town Council's approval to install about 150 feet of delineator posts between Ind. 2's eastbound and westbound lanes immediately east of the intersection.
Shelhart said eastbound drivers have been passing through the intersection, then straddling the two lanes to turn left to reach businesses. That causes traffic to stop, he said, and is a particular problem for school buses.
Westbound drivers have been turning left in a near U-turn to turn into the Walgreens parking lot rather than proceeding to the intersection's traffic light and its left turn signal, Shelhart said.
While he agreed to the delineation posts to deter drivers from making the turns, Councilman Don Parker, D-3rd, said he would like to find a way to accommodate safety needs, but not hurt the businesses in the area. He said he felt the intersection was incorrectly configured.
Shelhart said an Indiana Department of Transportation supported the idea of the delineation posts, but seems unlikely to pay for them.
The council agreed to buy the posts, although Shelhart did not yet know what the cost would be.
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