One of Evanston’s worst intersections has finally been fixed — for now.
In an attempt to minimize traffic congestion, the city erected temporary barricades Sept. 12 at the intersection of Green Bay Road, Ridge Avenue and Clark Street.
Drivers on Green Bay and Ridge are separated when the two roads come together so they no longer merge into the same lanes. Because of this, drivers no longer can make a left turn from Green Bay to Clark. The turn still can be made from Ridge.
“Previously you had two lanes from Green Bay Road going south and two lanes from Ridge Avenue merging in the same area,” said Rajeev Dahal, the city’s senior traffic engineer. “There weren’t a lot of accidents but there were a lot of near misses, and people were aware of the problems so they were cautious when approaching the intersection.”
After receiving regular calls from residents complaining about the intersection, the city developed a plan to separate traffic using barricades and signs, Dahal said.
“I hate that intersection myself because I have to get downtown through there,” said Hecky Powell, owner of Hecky’s Barbeque. “To be honest, it’s a dangerous place when you merge. There have been several incidents when I’ve almost hit someone or someone almost hit me.”
Powell said he has noticed at least one accident a week in front of his business, which is located near the intersection, at 1902 Green Bay Road.
“Because there is so much going on in downtown Evanston, we have more traffic and it becomes dangerous,” Powell said.
Communication junior Katie Hall said the intersection often confuses drivers, especially those new to the area.
“When you go south on Green Bay it’s very confusing,” Hall said. “After a few times, I learned that you have to wait a bit for new people to get their bearings. If you’re unfamiliar with the area it can catch you off guard.”
Hall added that widening the road or separating traffic would help ease the confusion.
According to Dahal, the temporary barriers have improved the flow of traffic.
“We are looking to make it more permanent next construction season,” he said. “We think its working fine so far.”
