Elk City, OK – Elk City has three new temporary 4-way stops.
The intersections at Washington & Broadway, Washington & 5th Street, and Washington & 6th Street have four stop signs each.
These changes are part of a long-term plan for the new fire station which sits at Washington and 5th Street on property extending to Broadway and Walker. The new station is scheduled to open in January.
Elk City Fire Chief Kyle Chervenka proposed the plan that was approved by the City to eventually change the permanent stop-sign placement at those three intersections. Making them temporary 4-way stops is the first step in that process.
"These changes should improve both emergency response efficiency and overall traffic safety near the station," Chervenka said.
Chervenka reviewed the fire department's primary response routes and recommended the changes.
Eventually, Broadway, 5th, and 6th Streets will have stop signs only on the east and west, and traffic on Washington won't stop at these intersections.
"Washington Avenue serves as a primary route for emergency-response vehicles," Chervenka said. "Changing where motorists stop at intersections will allow unimpeded flow for emergency vehicles traveling from the station along Washington and increase safety and efficiency of intersection clearance."
Chervenka also said that the change would help slow the traffic on Broadway and 5th Street—streets that see higher speeds—as well as improve the fire department's ability to quickly respond to emergencies.
Those intersections will change from temporary 4-way stops to permanent 2-way stops with through traffic on Washington by the spring.
This will allow motorists time to adjust to stopping at those intersections while driving east and west on Broadway, 5th, and 6th Streets.
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