New West Valley intersection a challenge for drivers

WEST VALLEY CITY — Commuters got a little confused Monday when forced to cross three lanes of traffic before making a left turn from the Bangerter Highway onto 3500 South.

Early Sunday, the Utah Department of Transportation opened a newly designed intersection at 3500 South and Bangerter. It is known as a "continuous flow intersection," and UDOT says it will save motorists 15 to 20 seconds of time in traffic.

But first drivers must learn to navigate the thing.

UDOT spokesman Nile Easton said the top issue his agency noticed was that motorists didn't merge into a special left-turn lane located before the intersection. When they realized the mistake, they then tried to turn left while in the intersection — a move that's no longer allowed.

"There was definitely confusion at the start," Easton said.

By the end of the day Sunday, Easton estimated 95 percent of drivers were using the intersection correctly. Monday, about 99 percent were using it correctly, he said.

With the new intersection, motorists turning left from Bangerter onto 3500 South must merge into a special lane located several hundred yards before the intersection. A traffic signal then indicates when a driver can cross oncoming lanes and make a left turn.

The left-turn lanes are located on the far side of oncoming lanes of traffic. To the left of the lanes is a specially designated lane for people turning right, or left, from 3500 South onto Bangerter.

Easton said drivers turning left from 3500 South also missed the designated lane and instead turned into the new left-hand turn lanes. But his agency believes most of the confusion will end after the intersection has been opened a few days.

"After a week or two, everyone seems to get it," Easton said about trials of the intersection design in other states.

Scott Winger, a Herriman resident, drove through the intersection on his way to work Monday and also to eat lunch at the La Frontera Mexican restaurant on the northwest corner of 3500 South and Bangerter. He said he had no problems navigating the intersection but that the design made little sense.

Scott Timmerman, a West Valley man who was discussing the intersection outside of La Frontera with Winger, said he wondered how much time he would actually save in traffic.