Right turn lane a necessity for safety

When the right turn lane at the intersection of U.S. Highway 14A and county road 2AB is completed, drivers between Cody and Powell will be a great deal safer.

Work began on the project last week, and completion is expected before Memorial Day.

That intersection has long been one of the busiest, if not the busiest, intersections between Cody and Powell.

It is also one of the most dangerous.

Too often when a southbound vehicle is turning right onto 2AB, following vehicles tend to drift into the center turning lane to avoid having to slow down. That is the same lane vehicles turning left onto 2AB are using.

The speed limit in that area is 70 mph.

It is extremely fortunate a fatal crash has not happened there.

The lack of a right turn lane would not be quite as much of a problem if it were not for the fact that there is only a three-lane bridge over the Shoshone River a short distance away, which exacerbates the situation forcing vehicles traveling in both directions to merge.

U.S. Highway 14A between Cody and Powell is four lanes for the entire length except for the short distance on both sides of the river, creating a potentially dangerous situation, especially at the intersection with county road 2AB.

Multiple accidents at that intersection over the years attest to that fact.

We are fully aware of how expensive it would be for the Wyoming Department of Transportation to widen the existing bridge. However, as traffic between Cody and Powell continues to increase, widening the bridge will become obligatory.

During the construction phase of the right turn lane, traffic delays up to 10 minutes should be expected, and the speed limit in the work zone will be reduced to 45 mph.

Although a minor, temporary inconvenience, the right turn lane will increase safety in that area immediately.

We are pleased WYDOT recognized the necessity of adding a turn lane at the intersection and is initiating the process.