Construction means headaches for drivers
There weren’t many happy drivers along High Street on Friday afternoon.
That’s when McMinnville motorists got a taste of what it’s going to be like for the next four months with the closing of portions of Main Street and Chancery Street.
Traffic was bumper to bumper and barely moving. It was taking around 10 minutes to creep two blocks on High Street from Colville to Morford.
Tempers flared. People were angry.
City officials hope such a traffic backup is a rare occasion even though two major downtown roads are scheduled to be closed until December. They say it’s important for motorists to use the assigned detour routes in order to avoid such a bottleneck in the future. Mayor Royce Davenport also said it’s likely the city will add temporary traffic lights at intersections which will now be very busy.
The official detour route for motorists traveling on Chancery Street from the high school toward downtown is as follows: 1) turn right on Colville; 2) turn left on Main Street by Beersheba Towers and Spangler Towers; 3) make the big curve onto Morford Street; 4) take Morford back to Chancery.
The detour route for motorists traveling on Chancery Street from Bobby Ray Elementary toward downtown is as follows: 1) turn right on Morford; 2) turn left on High; 3) turn left on Colville; 4) take Colville back to Chancery.
Officials note it is important to take the assigned detour routes and not cut through smaller streets not designed for a high volume of traffic. For example, trying to detour through Court Square and drive by the post office will only add congestion to an area that’s a traffic problem in the first place.
Davenport said he expects the first couple of days will be difficult until people become aware the roads are closed and learn to take alternative routes.