History of left turn crashes leads Colorado Springs officials to close 3-way intersection
Scott Harrison
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Two fatal crashes within a week in August that involved motorcycles were factors in officials temporarily prohibiting left turns and U-turns at a north side intersection.
On Wednesday, a city crew installed delineators along the turn lanes to keep traffic out where Union Boulevard meets Garmish Road.
The delineators are vertical plastic markers several feet high, designed to control traffic or pedestrian movements without the need for more expensive concrete structures; they’re bolted to the pavement for stability.
Delineators were controversial last year on Cheyenne Boulevard when they were installed in two areas.
After a former El Paso County commissioner complained that the delineators were an eyesore and confusing to drivers, and that neighbors weren’t consulted about the installation, the city removed some — but not all — of the delineators.
Earlier this year, the city replaced the remaining delineators with concrete structures.
Eric Sieger, a city spokesman, said that the Union/Garmish delineators will work differently.
“Those on Cheyenne created temporary pedestrian islands,” he explained. “They’re sturdier. They block access to vehicles.”
Sieger said that the intersection’s crash history prompted the need for a safety study.
“It’s a difficult intersection because you have fast downhill traffic southbound on Union and traffic flying up a blind hill northbound,” he said. “Drivers either couldn’t see vehicles turning in time or were going too fast to avoid them.”
The delineator installation was in stark contrast to three memorials to crash victims at the intersection.
Neighbors said that they’d sought safety improvements there for years.
“I’m positive we’ll save some lives now,” said neighbor George Zeigler. “The name of the game is safety and saving lives. That’s more important than whether I like it or not, or whether I want to take the long way around.”
Another neighbor, Lindsay Moore, said that she once spoke with a family member who was creating one of the memorials at the intersection.
“I’ve had some close calls myself, turning left,” she recalled. “The delineators will change how I drive to and from work, but I’m willing to do it.”
Sieger said that the delineators will remain in place for up to a year, allowing traffic engineers to study how well they work and how drivers react to them.
Ultimately, the delineators could become permanent fixtures or be replaced by extending the concrete median to further eliminate left turns.
As an alternate route to Garmish for southbound Union traffic, drivers can turn left at Vickers Drive, travel two blocks, and turn left onto Del Rey Drive.