CEDAR CITY — Cedar City Council approved funding to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Kitty Hawk Drive and Airport Road after receiving an affirmative recommendation in a recent traffic study.
Senior City Engineer Jonathan Stathis told Cedar City News that the city hired Horrocks Engineers to conduct a traffic study, which determined that conditions at the intersection warrant a traffic signal.
According to the document, Airport Road is a three-lane, 100-foot wide, minor arterial road, and Kitty Hawk is a 66-foot wide, two-lane major collector. Both roads have a posted speed limit of 40 mph. There is a two-way stop to the east and west.
Because the intersection is located in an industrial zone, its traffic contains a higher than usual percentage of trucks. Students travel west to east and vice versa during the school year and the area recently has seen an increase in traffic driving over the freeway on the east side of Interstate 15 because of the recently completed bridge, according to the study.
Additionally, the intersection is also a primary access point for the Cedar City Regional Airport to reach the terminal, airport hangars and other properties, the study reports.
The study found that much of the major movement within the intersection was from north to east and east to south. Peak hour volumes were counted 7-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. The intersection’s peak hour reportedly occurred between 5:45-6:45 p.m.
Northbound traffic typically stays in the through lane before moving onto the shoulder to decelerate when making a right turn, according to the study, which notes that there is “ample room” for drivers to use the maneuver.
However, this can increase wait times for drivers on side streets while northbound vehicles, who are assumed will continue through rather than turn right, clear the intersection
Because of this, the study recommended formally painting right-turn lanes on all legs to facilitate smoother traffic operation, regardless of whether the traffic light is installed.
Additionally, the study found that over the last three years, there were 17 crashes at the intersection. Thirteen of those were angle collisions and the remaining five were either single-vehicle crashes or front-to-rear collisions.
In the evaluation summary, Horrocks Engineers reported that not only is a traffic signal warranted but a four-way stop should be installed until the signal project is completed to reduce the number of crashes.
The City Council unanimously approved the budget on May 25 for the new fiscal year, which began July 1, Stathis said, adding that it includes $350,000 to fund the traffic light project.
While the city doesn’t have a timeline nailed down yet, Stathis said the design will likely be completed within the next nine to 10 weeks, and he’s hopeful it’ll be done by September.
“We’re going to be getting started on the design very shortly,” he said.
While project timing largely is dependent on weather, Stathis said the project is getting started.
“I know there’s been a lot of interest in it,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot more traffic going down toward Airport Road (with the new bridge). So there’s a lot of interest in getting it done from the public. We’re trying to move forward as quickly as we can.”
Additionally, the city posted a call for bids on June 30 for a road-improvement project on Kitty Hawk Drive to finish the curb, gutter and sidewalk on the west edge of Cedar City Animal Adoption Center’s property.
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