Date:  Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Contact: Mike Westbay, Communications Manager, (509) 577-1617
Summer Derrey, WSDOT Communications, (509) 945-4584

YAKIMA- On most weekday mornings ramp traffic backs-up at the US 12 and 16th Avenue interchange. WSDOT traffic counts show roughly 680 vehicles are turning left from the off-ramp onto 16th Avenue while about 60 vehicles are turning left from 16th Avenue onto westbound US 12.

The back-ups will soon be a thing of the past. On Wednesday, Oct. 14, WSDOT traffic engineers, in agreement with the City of Yakima and the Washington State Patrol, will remove the stop sign at the end of the westbound off-ramp from US 12 to 16th Avenue, and install a new stop sign on 16th Avenue where it intersects with the US 12 off and on-ramps.

“Our goal is to reduce the possibility of high speed, rear end collisions for drivers who do not expect slowing vehicles on US 12,” said Don Whitehouse, WSDOT Regional Administrator.

Northbound 16th Avenue drivers heading west on US 12 will now need to stop and wait for a gap between vehicles before they make the left turn onto the westbound on ramp.

WSDOT recommends that drivers pay attention to signs indicating the traffic revision and use caution when using the US 12 and 16th Avenue interchange.

For more construction and maintenance project information visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Regions/SouthCentral/Construction/

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