The town is taking a more visible approach to implementing a new traffic rule at its busiest intersection.
Last week, the public works department installed a ‘No Turn on Red’ sign on the sidewalk about 25 feet from the junction of Main and Evans streets – a major commuter route accessing hundreds of new homes on Sperryville Pike.
But when police started pulling over motorists for not obeying the sign some claimed they didn’t see it.
Tuesday, public works installed a second, more noticeable ‘No Turn on Red’ sign on top of the stoplight at Main and Evans. An electronic message board was also installed alerting motorists to the change.
According to town spokesman Wally Bunker, the ‘No Turn on Red’ rule was put in place there in conjunction with the recent change to one-way traffic on nearby Williams Street. The plan, he said, is to keep the intersection at Main and Williams free so cars may safely exit from Williams Street.
Bunker said the new rule should actually reduce congestion at the intersection of Main and Evans previously caused by motorists turning right on red, and in doing so blocking signaled traffic trying to turn left onto Evans Street.
“Public works made this change in conjunction with the change to one-way traffic on Williams Street to keep both intersections open during red signals at Main and Evans,” said public works director Jim Hoy. “Both intersections are in close proximity to each other and consequently are prone to the ‘stop and block issue.’”
It is hoped that the planned inner loop road in the area will relieve congestion at West Evans and Main Street, he said.
On the books for at least a decade, the .75-mile road would connect the intersection at route 229, Bus. 29 and North Main Street near Wendy’s with Virginia Avenue on Sperryville Pike incorporating back-to-back traffic circles. A recent cost estimate for the four-lane road is $10.1 million.
In the meantime, Culpeper Town Council did not make the decision to install the ‘No Turn on Red’ signs at Main and Evans, and not all of its members are in agreement with the staff decision.
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