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After construction is completed in summer 2027, turning options at the intersection of Pope and Detroit streets in Warsaw will be reduced.
The Warsaw Traffic Safety Commission unanimously voted Wednesday, Aug. 5 to approve the “short-term” solution for the intersection that was presented to them at their July 1 meeting.
Under the option, a vehicle going west on Pope Street can only turn north (right) onto Detroit Street. A vehicle going north on Detroit Street will only be able to turn east (right) onto Pope Street. A southbound vehicle on Detroit Street will be able to turn east (left) onto Pope Street or go south (straight) to Prairie Street. Vehicles will not be able to turn south (left) from Pope onto Detroit and won’t be able to go north on Detroit past Pope Street.
To start off discussion Wednesday, Warsaw Public Works Director Dustin Dillon reminded the Traffic Commission of the information that was presented at their July meeting.
“We had historical concerns and reports of truck traffic using this route. Reports of high rates of speed, people trying to beat the traffic signals. Concerns with motorists cutting the corner short from Prairie, turning onto South Detroit Street, encroaching into the other lane. Site vision issues when turning left off of Pope Street. Traffic stacking on Pope Street, trying to turn left onto South Detroit Street. Many, many near-miss accidents reported ... knowing whether traffic was going straight or turning right onto Pope Street, and high-traffic volumes early in the morning as well as mid-afternoon often associated with the school times,” Dillon recounted.
He said they had VS Engineering conduct an “extremely thorough” traffic analysis for the area and asked VS Engineering to come up with short- and long-term action plans. VS Engineering developed six action plans, which were narrowed down to three, short and long term, by the city. All of the options were presented at the July meeting.
“The short-term plan with right-turn only onto Pope Street and right-turn only off of Pope Street, heading up to Winona (Avenue), actually currently fits in with our necessary road maintenance that’s currently needed on East Prairie Street and South Detroit Street,” Dillon said. “The goal here would be to reroute truck traffic away from that area. Entice slower speeds as a right-turn only option. There would be no need to try to beat the traffic signal. The goal would be to eliminate the State Road 15 traffic from the area, since it would force them further east.”
It also would eliminate the site problem turning off Pope Street as well, he said, as traffic would only be able to turn right and head north on Detroit toward Winona, without worrying about the oncoming traffic heading north. Dillon said it would also shift traffic to the more arterial streets built to better handle the traffic volumes.
Since the July Traffic Commission meeting, Dillon said only three people reached out to the Public Works Department about the intersection after engagement from the community was encouraged. One was in favor of the project and encouraged the city to take some action. Another wanted a bigger project to reroute traffic, but Dillon said that would be even more expensive than any of the long-term solutions presented. The third person recommended more pavement markings for bicyclists and pedestrians in the area.
Dillon asked the other Traffic Commission members if they received any comments or feedback on the intersection since the July meeting. While City Planner Justin Taylor said the Ride+Walk Advisory Committee discussed the intersection in terms of integrating bike and pedestrian markings, most of the other seven members of the commission present said they received no public feedback.
Dillon said after the July meeting, he and Warsaw Mayor Jeff Grose met with Warsaw Community Schools and went over the logistics moving forward with WCS’ project of integrating both middle schools into the Lakeview Middle School area. He said WCS assured the city they were in support of the short-term project to improve the overall safety of the intersection as well.
Council President Jack Wilhite said the only concerns brought to him were from Warsaw Cut Glass, who had two representatives present at July’s and Wednesday’s meetings. Wilhite said Warsaw Cut Glass was concerned about any encroachment on their building.
Dillon responded, “What we have proposed here for that short-term solution is strictly on the roadway itself. It would not be going outside the curbs from there.”
He said the long-term solution would not encroach onto Warsaw Cut Glass’ property. Some property acquisition would be necessary, but not from Warsaw Cut Glass.
Dillon said the short-term solution would be incorporated into some necessary road maintenance.
“We do have this budgeted for this year in order to move forward. So, that is something that if the Traffic Commission is in favor of, of taking some action here. We can go ahead and put this project out for bid this year. The timeline of construction would be next summer, which we would wait until after school is out for the year, and then have it bid on that timeline that construction would be completed before school starts again in August ’27,” Dillon stated.
Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins asked to verify if the funds for the project were budgeted.
“Yes. So, the updated engineering estimate for the project, with the short-term project, was estimated at approximately $300,000. In that, about approximately $30,000 of that was actually for this right-turn only factored in. The rest of it is actually the normal road maintenance that we’re doing,” Dillon answered.
Wilhite asked if anything would be occurring at McClellan Street with this solution. Dillon said no.
Matt Light, from Warsaw Cut Glass, asked if the right turn at Detroit onto Pope would have a stop or a yield sign. Dillon said they haven’t fully determined what they are going to do with that, but they discussed just making that a “free-flowing” turn there and putting a yield sign for Detroit traffic going south and turning left (east) onto Pope.
Traffic Administrator Lance Grubbs said some city sign ordinances may have to be updated.
Mark Fick, WCS director of transportation, asked if the roads would be wide enough for a semi if it turned right from Detroit onto Pope. Dillon said they looked at that for school buses and big trucks and determined that with the left-hand turn on Pope being eliminated, the remaining lanes would be wider.
“The only thing with this I do foresee is, Smith Street, coming across from Indiana, most likely my recommendation to the Commission would be to turn that - if we do implement this, if we do choose to go forward - would be to make that a one-way only heading east from Indiana to South Detroit Street,” Dillon said.
Grubbs asked Dillon if he talked with the state about the traffic light at Winona Avenue and Detroit Streets. Dillon said he had some conversations, and they said once the project goes forward and they see what the new traffic patterns and flows are, the state could re-time the light, as well as other possible solutions.
Light asked what the barricades at the Pope and Detroit streets intersection would be. Dillon said concrete, about a foot high.
Warsaw Police Department Capt. Brad Kellar said once it goes into effect, the WPD will have extra patrol there while people are figuring out the new traffic patterns.
WPD Capt. Joel Beam made the motion to move forward with the short-term option. Dobbins seconded the motion and it passed.
