Heads up, Surprise motorists! It's time to pay extra attention at the Bell Road and Coyote Lakes Parkway junction as the city rolls out new traffic signal features to keep drivers safer and traffic flowing smoother. According to an announcement by the City of Surprise, the intersection is getting an upgrade with the installation of flashing yellow arrows for left turns, enhancing visibility and reminding drivers to yield before cruising on.
The city has scheduled the signal enhancements to start at the convenient, yet late hour of 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, with the aim of having everything wrapped up by 9 a.m. the following morning, ensuring minimal disruption during the day; however, during installation, patience is a necessity as Bell Road will be pinched down to a single lane, and those looking to hang a left eastbound or westbound will be out of luck, while Coyote Lakes southbounders will find themselves detouring via 115th Avenue, and Sierra Dawn northbounders will be streamlined into a right-turn-only situation.
Once the crews call it a day, and the shiny new arrows light up, they're set to guide drivers on when to coast through a left turn safely—panic no more about mistimed moves; as quoted in the city's announcement, "This means you can make a left turn, but only when it is safe to do so." It's vital to wait for a gap in oncoming traffic, which gets the green light, and remember that pedestrians always have the right of way.
Research bolsters the city's move, as the flashing yellow addition isn't just for show—it's been proven to sharpen safety at intersections, making left turns less of a gamble and more of a calculated, secure decision, the installation of a flashing yellow arrow has shown to increase the level of safety and efficiency for vehicles making a left turn at a traffic signal, which is great news for anyone who's ever white-knuckled their steering wheel waiting for that elusive safe moment to turn.
For further details on the traffic signal upgrade and to get savvy about the detours, take a peek at the city's official announcement on their news page.
