Tackling traffic in a flash

• Flashing arrow

The city of Woodbury plans to install a number a flashing yellow arrows around town in the coming years. Staff photo by Riham Feshir

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More flashing yellow arrows will be seen around Woodbury next spring.

Woodbury City Council approved a bid for the 2012 Flashing Yellow Arrow Modification project at its Wednesday, Nov. 14, meeting.

The $98,500 project will replace the full signal at Norma Lane and Hudson Road as well.

It will also add flashing yellow left turn arrows at Hudson Road and City Walk Drive, Norma Lane, Pendryn Hill Curve and Spring Hill Curve.

In the 59 traffic signals located in Woodbury, 17 are under complete control of the city. The remaining 42 are either under Washington County or the Minnesota Department of Transportation control, according to city staff.

Flashing yellow arrows have been installed on Valley Creek Road and Woodbury Drive. City officials previously decided to continue with the modification of signals throughout the city to improve traffic flow in other parts of town.

“A flashing yellow arrow would allow a permissive left turn movement with caution yielding to oncoming traffic,” staff wrote in a council letter. “Studies have shown that this configuration is safer than the traditional green ball indicator for a permissive left turn movement.”

The city plans to have flashing yellow arrows in all city-controlled signals over the next five years.

The four Hudson Road traffic signal modifications were approved as part of the council’s consent agenda last week. Work is set to begin this month and completed next spring.

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