Williamsburg eyes removing traffic lights

WILLIAMSBURG — The City of Williamsburg is asking the state for a traffic study to see if the city can eliminate traffic lights at the Interstate 80 off ramps near the mall.

Traffic lights are expensive to maintain and repair, said City Manager Aaron Sandersfeld.

In a letter to Jim Schnoebelen, engineer at the District 6 office of the Iowa Department of Transportation in Cedar Rapids, Sandersfeld asked for an Iowa Traffic Engineering Assistance Program study for the Highland Street Corridor.

Before investing money in the traffic signals, the city would like to confirm that they are still warranted per the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices guidance for a typical weekend day.

Using available Iowa DOT 2022 weekday turning movement traffic counts, the signals no longer appear to be warranted on weekdays, the city contends.

Sandersfeld told the city council Aug. 11 that the city has met several times with the DOT and engineers and they agreed that Williamsburg needs a traffic count study if it wants approval to remove the traffic lights at the I-80 ramps on Highland St.

The traffic lights at the two I-80 ramps are in poor condition and need significant improvement or replacement, said Sandersfeld.

The City would install stop signs at the ramps, but Highland traffic wouldn’t stop. The traffic lights at the mall entrance will remain in place, Sandersfeld said.

The city is also interested in the feasibility of a lane reduction from two through lines in each direction to one. The TEAP study would track traffic on Highland between Hawkeye Drive and 220th St. to determine if that is warranted.

Neither lane reduction nor replacement of the traffic lights will happen during the repaving of Highland this fall. “This will probably take a year before it’s all done,” said Sandersfeld of the study.