YORKTOWN, Ind. (NewsLink) – Twenty two crashes have occurred at the intersection of SR 332 and CR 600W from 2015-2018. Only two of these crashes were incapacitating injuries/fatal.
This intersection is seen as dangerous. Members of the community and the Indiana Department of Transportation have agreed something needs to be done to improve the safety and reduce the number of accidents occurring at this intersection.
It’s especially dangerous at peak hours of the day, which are in the mornings and afternoons around the time when Yorktown schools begin and dismiss.
INDOT has proposed three plans to achieve their goals of safety. First, would be to leave the intersection alone. The second would be to put in a stoplight, which would hopefully cause drivers to slow down.
Most people in the community insisted speed was a factor in the reason why the intersection is so dangerous. One community member, Karla Gibson, who lives off the intersection and uses it frequently, said her husband was injured because of reckless driving at the intersection.
“My husband had a terrible accident there one year ago, where he was rod sided by someone coming down 332 in Muncie," Gibson said. "And they weren’t going the 55 [mph] like they should have been. They were going about 70,75 [mph].”
Gibson, along with many other members in attendance at INDOT’s public hearing last night regarding the intersection plans, agree that the stoplight is the best option.
“I think a stoplight would slow some of the people down,” Gibson said.
The final option, which INDOT is most in favor of, is a median U-turn. In this plan, drivers would get into a left turn lane, make a U-turn and proceed on the other side of the street.
INDOT favors this option over the stoplight because it is cost effective and it reduces conflict points. Conflict points are areas where severe accidents are likely to occur. With the stoplight, there would be 24 conflict points, where the median U-turn only has four.
If INDOT goes forward with the median U-turn, despite community concerns for this plan, it will be completed by 2021 and cost $1.6 million.
INDOT will be taking comments about the intersection until May 1. If you would like to send in a comment, they should be sent to Mary Wright at mwright@indot.in.gov.
