Highway 12 Traffic Fix Confusing Some Drivers
Confusion over stop signs at Hwy 12 exit
A big change was recently made on a busy Highway 12 exit in Yakima to improve traffic flow.
But it's confusing drivers and could become a hazard.
It's been ten months since the department of transportation switched the stop signs here at the North 16tha Avenue offramp off Highway 12.
To keep traffic moving smoothly, cars leaving the freeway no longer have to stop.
But not everyone exiting the freeway is getting that message.
A sign tells drivers to keep moving as they turn left.
Less than two minutes into shooting video of the cars, one rolled to a slow stop.
Other drivers stopped completely, and run the risk of getting hit from behind.
"Seen a lot of people just stop there, so yeah, seems like a lot of confusion," says Norm Buckley.
The confusion doesn't stop there.
Cars leaving Yakima and entering Highway 12 now have to stop, but one man says he almost got into an accident when one driver didn't.
"I actually had kind of a close call on the side where they're supposed to stop now, the person just blew through it, so I had to hit the brakes pretty hard," says Buckley.
The D.O.T. made the change to stop traffic from backing up along Highway 12.
State patrol says even if you know how the intersection now works, it's always a good idea to watch out for others who don't, in order to prevent accidents.
During the 30 minutes news crews were out at the exit, ten cars and trucks stopped at the intersection when they should have kept going.
The Washington State Patrol says, although there is confusion, troopers have not investigated any accidents at that intersection since the stop signs were switched.