The City of Great Bend created a stir when it called attention to the busy and oft confusing 10th and Harrison intersection and entering the McDonald’s restaurant that sits there.
It was at Monday night’s City Council meeting that City Administrator Kendal Francis brought up the matter. At issue is west-bound traffic wanting to enter the restaurant’s 10th Street driveway.
The east-bound traffic is essentially three lanes, he said. That includes the inside and outside lanes, and the center turning lane designed to turn north onto Harrison.
However, “I know there’s been some miscommunication that crossing over a double yellow line is illegal,” he said. But, “It’s not illegal if you are turning into a private driveway.”
Problems arise when drivers headed for the restaurant pull into the turning lane and load it up against east-bound drivers who want to turn north.
Kansas Department of Transportation traffic counts indicate that 12,800 cars and 1,500 trucks pass through the area daily. Factoring in the diagonal railroad crossing, it becomes a very challenging intersection, said Brent Terstriep, KDOT District 5 engineer.
Questions addressed
These statements have sparked a myriad of questions from baffled drivers.
• The first regards the solid yellow lines and the legality of crossing them. This is absolutely legal, according to the Uniform Vehicle Code when it discusses delineating passing and no-passing zones.
“Authorities are authorized to determine those portions of any highway under their respective jurisdictions where overtaking and passing or driving on the left side of the roadway would be especially hazardous and may by appropriate signs or markings on the roadway indicate the beginning and end of such zones,” the code reads. “Where signs or markings are in place to define a no-passing zone as set forth (see above) no driver shall at any time drive on the left side of the roadway within such no-passing zone or on the left side of any pavement striping designed to mark such no-passing zone.”
But, it says this does not apply when an obstruction makes it necessary to drive left of center, nor to the driver of a vehicle turning left into or from an alley, private road or driveway. In both cases, the turning vehicle must yield the right of way to the vehicle traveling in the proper direction.
So, if one is turning as mentioned above, they are allowed to cross the lines. So legally a person heading westbound on 10th Street is allowed to cross the double yellow lines in front of the McDonald’s entrance.
Terstriep agrees with assessment, as well as the city’s interpretation. The city has approached KDOT for assistance on finding a solution.
• OK, so what about the turning lanes in front of Arby’s and Walmart? This stretch, and others along 10th, are similar, yet different.
Unlike the turning lane by McDonald’s which is one-way for traffic to turn north, this section is a two-way left turn lane. This lane is bordered on either side by two yellow lines - the inner line is broken or dashed, the outer line is solid.
According to Terstriep, the pavement marking arrows show it is exclusively for left-turning vehicles and may be used by drivers making a left turn in either direction. It shall not be used for passing or travel by a driver except to make a left turn.
By contrast, at McDonald’s, the turn lane is bordered by two solid lines, and the turn arrows are only one way, Terstriep said. Drivers may only turn one direction, in this case north.
Not a new problem
This issue is nothing new, Francis said. It is just a very difficult intersection.
“We are working with the city,” Terstriep said. “It is a priority.”
But, “there is no time frame,” he said. A lot of work needs to be done before recommendations can be made.
Tenth Street is a state highway (U.S. 56) but it falls within the city limits. “It may fall more on us,” Francis said.
For the time being, Francis said they just want to get the word out and hope folks self-correct their driving habits. However, in the future, the Police Department will issue tickets for violations.
