New sign near Monroe reminds drivers of need for safety on U.S. 2
Published 3:56 pm Wednesday, May 27, 2009
An electronic sign that will show the number of days since the last serious auto accident on U.S. 2 is now activated.
The $12,000 sign is the first of two planned to remind drivers of the need for safety on an accident-prone stretch between Everett and Stevens Pass.
The first sign, activated today, is located near Westwick Road, just west of Monroe. Another sign is scheduled to be installed by the end of June near Gold Bar.
The signs measure 5-feet-tall by 8-feet wide, and feature an electronic display that automatically counts the number of days since a serious collision. If a fatal or serious injury collision occurs, troopers from the Washington State Patrol will reset the sign to zero. Today is the 68th day since the last serious collision, according to the state Department of Transportation.
“We have installed similar signs on other safety corridors and we’ve heard positive feedback from the communities on US 2,” said Lowell Porter, director of Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “People pay attention and notice the sign, especially when it goes back to zero.”
The signs had been planned for installation earlier, but a manufacturing problem prevented the first one from working properly. Neighbors in Gold Bar objected to the location of the second sign. A new location has been found at milepost 32, just east of town.
For photos of the sign, visit www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157618792094795/.
For video of the sign being unveiled, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh9KG0YsTR0.
