DOT: Edison Interchange #1 Traffic Signal Priority

Share

By Chelsea Kopta

Summary

Rush-hour at the off-ramp. You've probably been stuck in traffic jams at Edison Street. Action News learned fixing it is a top priority.

Story Published: Mar 17, 2009 at 5:49 PM PST

KENNEWICK -- Rush-hour at the off-ramp.

You've probably been stuck in traffic jams at Edison Street but Action News learned, fixing it is a top priority.

DOT engineers said the Edison interchange is the #1 one traffic priority in all of southeastern Washington.

It's one of the few trouble spots in the tri-cities.

A driver told us, "I come from a big city so when you say traffic jams I find that a bit humorous. But I do understand the problem. I have been caught up in it."

Westbound on the Edison off-ramp is a chronic rush hour. 11,000 cars back up this ramp between morning, noon and night. The worst time -- in the evening. 1,100 cars sit bumper to bumper between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. It sometimes spills out onto the highway.

A traffic engineer from WSDOT said, "Any ramp that backs up onto the highway is a concern for the Department and we give that priority it's due."

DOT engineers want to overhaul this intersection with a traffic light and other upgrades. That'll cost about a quarter-million dollars. There's just one small problem. No money in the bank. It means they're hoping to get the cash for a temporary light -- at about a third of the cost.

The interchange is maintained by DOT, and it's a good thing because we learned it's not a priority for the city of Kennewick.

Kennewick's mayor said, "We're not turning a blind eye on the traffic tie ups at Edison, unfortunately, it hasn't risen to the level of the blue bridge where they've been awful lot of accidents."

Traffic engineers want to start with the permanent light first, but if not, they're going to try to get funding for the temporary light by this July.