The Highland School Board discussed traffic safety concerns for the intersection of Highway 22 and Enterprise Road during their regular meeting November 8th.
Following a vehicle collision near Kum and Go gas station involving a former Highland student, the school board and other community members wanted to address possible avenues to take to make the intersection safer. With Highway 22 being just 10 minutes from the school and serving as one of the main roads leading into Riverside, it can be a high traffic area around the beginning and end of the school day. The current speed limit on Highway 22 near U.S. Highway 218 is 55 miles per hour. Superintendent Ken Crawford spoke with a traffic technician about conducting a speed study in the area since there hasn’t been one done since 2007. Ideas that were considered at the meeting included adding flashing lights to indicate oncoming traffic and lowering the speed limit to 45. A trailer has been posted at the intersection to begin marking the speed of incoming vehicles. No specific timeline has been set for the study but Crawford says that the process is ongoing. He added that the city and the Iowa Department of Transportation will be handling much of the speed study but the school board is open to helping in any way they can.