ACHD's Road Wizard Sunday, January 12, 2020

We last evaluated this in 2018 when we found a slight benefit to overall traffic delay with the dual left turn lane configuration during the evening peak hour, but a significant increase in delay at all other times of day. As currently configured, ACHD can control a single left turn with greater overall efficiency using a flashing yellow arrow (FYA), which allows vehicles to proceed on flashing yellow yielding to opposing traffic. We've installed these at 220+ intersections throughout the county with great success in reducing overall intersection delay. With two left turn lanes, ACHD would need to remove the FYA so vehicles could only turn left on a green arrow.

With the Cloverdale Road overpass over I-84 out of service for nearly a year for reconstruction, traffic shifted to parallel arterials, including Five Mile Road. With Cloverdale Road now fully open to traffic, it is likely some but perhaps not all traffic has shifted back. We won't fully know this until this fall after traffic patterns equalize to "new" conditions. While ACHD can reevaluate the Five Mile Road/Franklin Road intersection for dual left turn lanes vs. single left turn lanes with FYA, it likely won't be until later this fall at the soonest.

From Meridian Road to Arrowwood Way, East Woodbury Drive is closed for replacement of irrigation pipes. This project is slated for January 8 through January 16. You will see trenches being dug in that area so it will become obvious soon. Irrigation work is generally done first because it needs to be completed by the spring. This project is in conjunction with the Meridian Road, Cherry Lane to Ustick Road project.

For you and all other readers that may not know, ACHD provides an interactive map on their web site for "Road Work in the Area" or RITA. This map shows different projects and some future projects within Ada County and provides details about them.