HANCOCK COUNTY — The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to install a new conflict warning system at a rural intersection it has targeted in the past as dangerous.
The system uses signs and flashing warning lights to alert drivers when vehicles are approaching that will intersect their path. One will be installed at the intersection of U.S. 40 and County Road 600E.
Such warning systems are installed at two-way intersections with stop signs and where cross traffic is not required to stop. Such intersections tend to be more prone to collisions. The signs feature yellow warning lights and messages that say “traffic approaching when flashing” or “entering traffic when flashing.” Vehicle detection devices under the pavement trigger the lights.
INDOT spokeswoman Mallory Duncan said in an email that a schedule for the installations is not yet available, but the plan is for them to be completed by mid-June, weather permitting.
Hancock County engineer Gary Pool said the county hasn’t installed conflict warning systems itself because of the expense, but he looks forward to seeing whether they are an effective tool for reducing crashes.
“It’s a little extra ability to identity what conflicts are coming up,” he said.
INDOT has been eyeing safety improvements at the intersection for at least two years. In 2019, it proposed a “J-turn” configuration for the crossing, but the idea did not attract much support from local officials.