If you deviate to another road on a detour, use extra caution

MASON CITY — Road construction projects continue across Mason City and north-central Iowa.

Mason City’s police chief Jeff Brinkley says when you are taking detours, especially through neighborhoods that aren’t marked as the official detour routes, use extra caution and slow down because there have been a number of accidents in those areas.  “You think of the 122 West detour right now. We’ve had several collisions at 19th and Eisenhower where people I think are, the timing of the light is new to them, it’s just not an intersection they traverse. Same thing at Lark and old 106. Now we’ve got it down at South Federal and 19th. Those of us who live here know the little cuts through the neighborhood that you can make, but now you’ve got truckers and delivery vehicles, and people who don’t know those routes trying to find them.”

Pete Hjelmstad with the Iowa Department of Transportation says the intersections in neighborhoods that are not part of the official detour are dangerous when people aren’t used to that level of traffic.  “I know a lot of people are going to be using city streets and making their own detour. Just make sure that you take it easy going through those neighborhoods because people aren’t used to that traffic going through there. When you come to uncontrolled intersections, make sure that you follow the rules of the road. The driver on the left must yield, so keep that in mind. Take it slow going through those intersections. We’ve seen a lot of people who just go flying through there, so keep that in mind.”

You can check out road construction projects that are active statewide by heading to 511ia.org.