Letter: Plan needed to direct traffic around accidents

Tuesday, Aug. 12, 1997 | 9:43 a.m.

Trooper Steve Harney of the Highway Patrol reported the tie-up, but didn't mention what was not done to help alleviate the situation. The article says that traffic was forced to use the shoulder to pass.

I was one of those unfortunate enough to be in the traffic mess. What the article did not say is that for a long period of time, motorists were actually pedestrians (I sat for 30 minutes before motorists began taking action into their own hands). While I sat just north of the D Street off-ramp, I could see nothing ahead but parked vehicles. Many people were standing in the roadway talking to each other, trying to figure out what turned the freeway into a parking lot. No one was passing anywhere, not even on the shoulder. Nothing moved. It looked like a block party, except there were not a lot of laughs.

The Highway Patrol did nothing to alert drivers about the tie-up. I expected and would have appreciated it if traffic had been diverted off the freeway, at the D Street exit (the last exit prior to the accident site). There were no cones, no flares, nothing. Granted, it took a lot of manpower to clear the accident, and there are safety concerns at the immediate site. But I am sure there are a few employees of the NHP who have the skills to think past the accident a bit, anticipate problems and take steps to lessen the problems; particularly after the situation has been "stabilized." Apparently none of them were on duty at the time.

After we were literally parked for more than 30 minutes, motorists began working together to clear a lane to the shoulder. Then they backed up, several hundred feet, to the D Street off-ramp (which was empty) and made it off the freeway. I was one of the fortunate ones just ahead of the exit. My condolences to those unfortunate ones farther ahead, those stuck too far between other exits or those late for work, who missed job interviews, en route to the hospital with sick children, etc.

I do understand that there are times, as a result of an accident, where traffic tie-ups cannot be helped. But I expect the NHP to develop plans and train its officers to take steps to alleviate the situations when and where possible. It may also be time to spend some of the federal highway funds to develop simple warning signs showing the location of accidents so motorists may leave the freeway before they pass the last possible exit (what a concept, huh?).

Maybe the existing freeway/exit signs can be adapted with a simple set of color-coded lights. If a red light is flashing next to the Craig Road exit, there is an accident or other emergency between the Craig and the previous (Cheyenne) exits. If there is a flashing yellow light next to the words "Cheyenne," traffic is slowing and it is recommended you exit when possible (if you are in a hurry). Combinations of the lights indicated at different exits would tell motorists a lot.

Name withheld