MONROE – Motorists traveling on U.S. 74 will encounter a new traffic pattern at Rocky River Road in Monroe next week as part of a $1.9 million project to convert the intersection to a
reduced conflict intersection, or RCI.
Starting Monday morning at 9, drivers heading east on U.S. 74 wanting to turn left to Rocky River Road will instead proceed through the intersection and make a U-turn at a designated location. This new pattern is the first of future traffic shifts to come as work progresses into the fall.
When the project is completed later this year, left turns will be removed from the intersection. Drivers on U.S. 74 who wish to turn left will continue straight to the U-turn location, while drivers on Rocky River Road will turn right to U.S. 74, then make a U-turn.
The RCI term is used to describe several types of designs that can be used to improve safety and traffic flow. The designs may vary, but they function the same by reducing more than half the possible locations, or conflict points, where drivers and pedestrians can collide.
In addition to reducing the risk of crashes, reduced conflict intersections can accommodate more traffic without delays and require less right of way than adding more travel lanes or building overpasses and interchanges.