Once again the Department of Transportation is “fixing” a miniscule problem, while ignoring the real problem.
I am talking about the intersection of U.S. 2 and Highway 9. For several years it has been readily apparent that traffic lights are needed to deal with the ever-increasing traffic there. This was even acknowledged several years ago, with a plan to realign New Bunk Foss Road with the west bound U.S. 2 off ramp. Now they are spending a considerable amount of taxpayer money to provide right-turn lanes. Right turning has been a tiny part of the problem; it is the left turns that are difficult at best and dangerous most of the time.
Furthermore, if they really wanted to provide right-turn lanes, all they had to do was re-do the white lines. There was already plenty of asphalt paving width to accomplish this with a minimum of cost.
So why all the extra work and expense? Only a professional bureaucrat could explain that. I know they will claim they can’t afford the traffic lights because of Initiative 695. Pure baloney! Why then are they wasting money on this “fix” that will have a minimal impact on the problem with the intersection? Am I the only one infuriated by this incomprehensible waste of money? It is similar to what the county recently did at the intersection of Dubuque and 171st Avenue. They spent a lot of money fixing a non-existent problem. The only thing the intersection needed was for brush to be removed at the northwest corner to improve sight distance, but no, they spent a lot of money widening all four sides of the intersection. For what?
Snohomish
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