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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowResidents and local officials are fighting plans for overhauling a U.S. 24 intersection in northern Indiana, saying they don’t believe it will improve traffic safety.
The Indiana Department of Transportation has proposed building a so-called “J-turns” at the intersection of U.S. 24 and Indiana 19 just north of Peru. Agency officials cite 26 crashes involving two deaths there over the past decade as the reason for changing traffic patterns, the Kokomo Tribune reported.
The J-turns would allow only right-hand turns only entering or exiting U.S. 24, with a dedicated lane for drivers to make U-turns after passing the intersection to go the other direction.
Miami County economic development director Jim Tidd said he worried the J-turns won’t provide safe crossing for the number of semitrailers traveling to and from the nearby Peru Industrial Park.
The state highway department backed off plans to build six J-turns on U.S. 31 in the area after widespread local opposition. The agency said in December it was reevaluating how to modify the intersections toward a long-term goal of eliminating traffic lights on U.S. 31 through northern Indiana.
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J turns make sense.
J turns make sense.
Or, implement a must more expensive grade-separated freeway design to South Bend
I don’t know about U.S. 24 & SR 19, but they really need to prioritize eliminating the left turn from U.S. 31 near Peru that doesn’t even have a left turn lane. I think there might be one going in each direction.
If a J turn is the same thing as the Michigan left we have at 96th and Allisonville it works very well for it’s intended purpose and has cut down on morning and afternoon traffic jams, but for the life of me I don’t remember ever seeing a semi trying to use it to make a U-turn. I think that would be difficult for a semi and not a preferred way to make a left hand turn.