Major Highway 14/16 intersections to undergo safety renovations
BOX ELDER, S.D. (KEVN) - Along U.S. Highway 14/16, three intersections will be changed in an effort to make them safer and cut down on traffic back-ups.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization, along with the City of Box Elder and Pennington County are collaborating to renovate the entire highway from West Gate Road to 151st Road.
The four-lane highway is cumbersome for commuters, mainly at the intersections of Radar Hill Road, Ellsworth Road, and Liberty Boulevard. The proposed drafts include both a roundabout and a traffic light option. At Liberty Boulevard, KLJ Engineering, the company conducting the study, says signals are the only option. All of the drafts incorporate walking paths.
“Both along 14/16 and Radar Hill Road we’re looking at providing new facilities for both bicycles and pedestrians. We’ve had a number of crashes. Just recently there was a pedestrian fatality,” said Steve Grabil, a senior engineer with KLJ Engineering.
On September 12 one man was killed after being hit by a driver.
These changes will significantly reduce the abnormally large median to about 6 feet. Grabill says these medians are unsafe for drivers.
The construction timeline is dependent on federal funding.
At 5:30 on Tuesday evening, representatives from KLJ Engineering and other organizations will be ready for questions at Box Elder City Hall.
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