The intersection of U.S. 41 and Lakeshore Drive in Ishpeming is shown. Officials say the intersection is a dangerous one and changes to the signal are being made to improve safety. (Journal photo by Lisa Bowers)

ISHPEMING — Officials are taking steps to improve safety and reduce the number of traffic crashes at a busy intersection in Ishpeming, and a proposed roundabout may be the ultimate solution.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is in the process of upgrading the traffic signal at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Lakeshore Drive.

The $45,000 project will increase visibility and safety with new reflective backplates on the signals; additional signal heads on the eastbound and westbound U.S. 41 approaches; and a signal arrow to the left-turn lane, offering a protected phase which allows motorists to turn left on a green arrow while oncoming traffic is stopped at the light.

MDOT Superior Region Communications representative Dan Weingarten said most of the work has been completed. He said he is anticipating signal heads installation and vehicle-detection sensor programming for left-turn signals will be completed between July 16 and 17. MDOT electricians, along with the vendor for the detection system will be on-site for those improvements, Weingarten said.

All of the changes are designed to make the intersection safer — addressing left-turn and other problems in that area, which had been identified as a “higher-crash intersection,” he said.

Ishpeming Police Department statistics show that 10 accidents at the intersection involving 20 vehicles had been reported between Jan. 1 and June 13 with six injuries reported.

According to a June IPD release, four of the accidents were caused by a vehicle disregarding a traffic control device, four were caused by failure to yield the right-of-way, one was due to a failure to stop within an assured clear distance and one was caused by a vehicle striking an object in the roadway.

Weingarten said 94 percent of crashes are caused by human error, but it is difficult to determine why some areas are more likely to have traffic crashes than others.

“That being said, at this location, the crashes we’ve seen seem predominantly to involve people ignoring the signal or failing to yield to oncoming traffic while making left turns,” Weingarten said.

Among possible solutions, a roundabout stood out as a good choice to increase safety and efficiency at the intersection, but efforts to get a U.S. Department of Transportation grant for roundabout funding in 2021 were not successful.

The proposed $4.5 million project would face problems, Weingarten said, because the Lake Superior and Ishpeming railroad viaduct means space is limited to the south and other issues could be caused by the bridge over the Carp River to the east of the intersection.

“We were able to obtain a portion of the necessary funding through MDOT safety funds,” Weingarten said. “Pending getting the remainder of the needed funds, we could see a roundabout constructed in 2023.”

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. Her email address is lbowers@miningjournal.net.