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City of Midland Searches for Ways to Decrease Traffic on Loop 250
City of Midland Searches for Ways to Decrease Traffic on Loop 250 12/12/12
Shannon Murray
CBS 7 Reporter
smurray@cbs7.com
December 12, 2012
Midland, TX - City of Midland transportation officials are searching for answers to reduce congestion on the roads after yet another fatal crash along Loop 250 on Tuesday.
Midland transportation officials say the exit ramps and service roads are becoming increasingly more dangerous with traffic at times backed up from the intersections, down the service roads and all the way onto the highways themselves.
Drivers along Loop 250 wait at a standstill in the seemingly never-ending traffic.
With an influx of people and development, City of Midland officials predict a traffic increase of 30% citywide.
"You can get to just about every street in the city now from Loop 250," says City of Midland Transportation Manager Gary Saunders.
That's why the city is looking at ways to increase traffic flow, particularly on the exit ramps and service roads that are typically exceeding capacity.
"Easily you can handle 10-15,000 vehicles, it's probably maybe approaching, during the rush hours, what would equal 20,000 per service road,” Saunders claims.
"It causes people to be impatient, sometimes they create lanes that are not there," Saunders explains.
The city is looking at expanding service roads, adding turn lanes at intersections, and putting in new traffic signals to keep cars moving.
Saunders says once they come up with a solid plan, they will give it to TX-DOT and see if the state can help with the funding.
The city does expect even more traffic over the next month as more people come in from out of town for holiday shopping and to visit family in the area.