Left turn lanes to be added on High Street at Center Square

During July, motorists in downtown Elizabethtown will see improvements in Center Square that will include the addition of left turn lanes in both directions on High Street. The work is part of a regional traffic signal synchronization project in which signals from Route 283 at Cloverleaf Road through the borough to the five-point intersection at Route 743/Mount Gretna Road/Holly Street are being improved. 

At the square, parking will be eliminated to make room for left turn lanes on High Street. This will formalize and make legal the left turn lanes that drivers created on their own. These self-created lanes are clearly unsafe -- especially for drivers attempting to pass vehicles on the right. With the creation of formal lanes, drivers will have clearly defined lanes and will have safer conditions.

Because of the changes, signs as pictured above will be installed on High Street at the square to keep traffic moving. As you can imagine, someone that stops to let a passenger out or parks for a minute with four-way flashers on could prevent traffic from flowing and cause congestion.

In preparation for the work, Borough Council removed 15-mintue parking spots on East and West High Street and has added two spots each to the public parking lots (next to Highlander Cleaners and across from P&J Pizza).