Drivers react to displaced left turn lane at Epworth Road and State Road 66 intersection

WARRICK COUNTY, Ind. (WEHT) – Drivers are preparing to adjust to some drastic changes coming to one of Warrick County’s biggest intersections. INDOT plans to open a displaced left turn lane at the Epworth Road and State Road 66 intersection in August. To help drivers prepare, INDOT held an educational event with organizers of The Lloyd 4 U Project at Evansville Christian School in Newburgh.

“I work a block away from the intersection and we see a lot of car accidents there. So I am very hopeful that this is going to alleviate some of the accidents that have happened,” says Sarah Wray, who works near the intersection and came to the event.

Wray works at Orthopedic Associates and says she thinks the displaced turn lane is a good idea, but says she worries about her patients.

“We have a lot of older patients at our office so I have some concerns about how our patients are going to find their way to the office and to the hospital,” Wray says.

The intersection is right outside of Deaconess Gateway Hospital, which is where INDOT says a majority of the traffic going through the intersection comes from. It is the first of four displaced left turn lanes to be built along the Lloyd Expressway over the next few years. To help drivers prepare, INDOT walked them through a simulation on a road map, showed them traffic pattern pictures, and a video explaining what the turn lane is.

“I think that what is going to throw people for a loop is making that turn before and driving with the cars on the right side. It is not England, but it is going to feel like it,” says INDOT Southwest Public Relations Director Gary Brian.

Members of the Ohio Township Fire Department also came to the event to speak with officials, and better understand the new traffic pattern. The department’s Battalion Chief, Chris Watson,  says he hopes it’s an easy adjustment.

“In certain areas, it could be a little adjustment for us when we come through the intersection. But as we approach, if citizens pay attention to the lights and sirens approaching and they can get over, it should be a nice and easy transition for us, hopefully,”  Watson says.

INDOT and organizers with The Lloyd 4 U Project say the new turn lane will help decrease right-angle crashes and improve traffic flow. The intersection is expected to open in mid-August and INDOT says it is working with law enforcement to monitor traffic flow on opening day.

“To ensure everything goes smoothly those first few days,” Brian says.

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