Problem traffic light on Columbia Avenue gets fix [Lancaster Watchdog]

Alex Groff frequents Columbia Avenue, so it didn't take long for him to notice when something was off with the traffic lights.

Groff found himself sitting for long periods at the Jackson Drive intersection, about a mile west of Lancaster city at the Stone Mill Plaza. As a line of cars formed on Columbia, Jackson Drive would be clear, with no vehicles going in or out of the shopping center.

Groff wrote to The Watchdog in the hopes of fixing the traffic delays. He said the problem was creating unnecessary backups on Columbia Avenue at all hours of the day, and he suspected recent construction work was the culprit.

"We don't need any more reasons to slow down traffic on that road," Groff wrote.

Lancaster Township Manager Bill Laudien confirmed there was an issue with the lights. A contractor that had been paving at the intersection accidentally cut through the light's preemption loop, which helps control the flow of traffic.

"The effect would have someone sitting at the intersection through a full default cycle even when there wasn't any traffic," Laudien said.

After hearing from The Watchdog, the township promptly ordered the parts to fix the loop, as well as a camera to install a video detection system to ensure the problem doesn't happen again. By late October, the work was finished.

The difference is noticeable, Groff said, and he's glad that his daily commute is back to normal.

Notice any problems?