Hiawatha city officials are asking for the community’s input on the First and Oregon Street intersection stoplight issue.
For the past few weeks, the stoplights have been in blinking mode since a possible wiring short occurred from excess rain. The city has determined the price tag to fix the stop lights range from $15,000 for a potential temporary fix up to $250,000 to replace the entire intersection’s once overhanging lights. The state Department of Transportation has determined the intersection does not get enough east-west traffic to warrant a stoplight and therefore won’t chip in any funding for the project.
City and school officials have been meeting weekly since the stoplights went out and also reached out to the state. Commissioner of Streets Becky Shamburg — also mayor-elect starting in 2023 — has said their conversations with KDOT haven’t indicated the state is willing to help.
Since the possible short of the wires, the lights have been in blinking mode — yellow for north and southbound traffic, meaning no stops for those drivers — and the east-west bound traffic has a red blinking light, meaning stop for oncoming traffic. City crews also placed temporary stop signs for east and westbound traffic.
Shamburg said the city would like the public’s input on whether residents feel the stoplights are needed. Some people feel very strongly they should be in place for the safety of traffic in and out of Red Hawk Drive by the school.
She is encouraging members of the community to write letters to the commission and send them to City Hall, 701 Oregon St., Hiawatha, KS 66434. She said the letters don’t have to be long, but they are trying to get the public behind a campaign to reach out to legislators Sen. Dennis Pyle and Rep. Randy Garber.
“We need feedback from the community so we can go to these guys to see if they will get behind the project,” she said.
Residents can also stop by City Hall and fill out a formal complaint form, Shamburg said.
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