Thursday, April 10, 2014
Council Members Table Change In Traffic Flow Issue
Members of the Lawrenceburg Board of Mayor and Council voted Thursday to table an ordinance proposing the reversal of traffic flow along a section of Columbia Avenue.
Council members voted to approve the ordinance on first reading during their March 27 meeting. It would change the one-way traffic flow along North Columbia Avenue, between East Gaines Street (Highway 64) and Pulaski Street, requiring that motorists travel north-to-south rather than the current south-to-north.
Tommy Beurlein, long-time manager of Holland’s Drugs and Medi-Quip, addressed the council, raising some concerns. Beurlein pointed out issues regarding visibility and drainage that he said could pose some safety hazards for motorists, should the ordinance be approved. He said that the main issue would be a question of visibility.
Beurlein said that while drivers now have a clear view of on-coming traffic when exiting from Columbia Avenue onto East Gaines, exiting onto Pulaski Street is a different matter.
He pointed out that the buildings along that end of the street section “are right on the sidewalk.” He said that parking along the curb serves to further decrease visibility. “You’ll have more accidents than you can pay for,” he advised.
Also of concern, Beurlein said, is the fact that rainwater runoff collects along the street during periods heavy rains. He said that a drain that runs beneath the adjacent railroad tracks becomes clogged periodically which makes the situation worse.
“I just don’t see how it can work any better than it is right now,” Beurlein said.
Mayor Keith Durham suggested allowing the city’s engineer to inspect the area in question and make recommendations. The council voted to table the matter pending further research.
