New signals up and running on U.S. 70 in Williams Road area

The new signal system on U.S. 70 East is up and running and roadway improvements on Williams Road are nearly complete.

"This project involves installation of a coordinated signal system for signals on U.S. 70 at Williams Road, Airport Road, Taberna Way and Thurman Road," said Dwayne Alligood, Division 2 operations engineer for the N.C. Department of Transportation. "It also includes widening of Williams Road to provide an additional egress lane from Williams Road onto U.S. 70.

Highway crews will install the final components this week to allow communication between each of the signals, he said. The signals provide for left turns from Williams Road and from the south side of Airport Road.

The work was requested by Craven County, led by County Commissioner Steve Tyson, after work to speed traffic through the James City area resulted in slower and more hazardous driving for local traffic to homes and business.

The signals use a new, simpler left-turn signal head that eliminates the "doghouse" style left-turn signals, Alligood said. The Department of Transportation is beginning an evaluation of the new-style traffic signal head. It is the result of part of a national study sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, which sought to improve driver understanding of left-turn traffic signals and to reduce accidents at intersections.

Alligood said the asphalt-widening work was completed last week by the Department of Transportation's county maintenance personnel and is now marked with three lanes entering U.S. 70 to facilitate traffic flow.

"I am very pleased with the quality of the work they performed," he said. The crews will be doing additional work this week to make the pedestrian crosswalk push buttons more accessible, since new signal poles at the Williams Road intersection are set back farther from the existing pavement.

"This has been a very positive project that was made possible by the support of Sen. Jean Preston, Rep. William Wainwright, Rep. Alice Underhill, and Board of Transportation Member Cameron McRae," Alligood said.

Sue Book can be reached at (252) 635-5666 or sbook@freedomenc.com