New traffic lights aim to reduce crashes in Manassas

When one area in a city or county sees more collisions than others, it’s very important for the government there to make decisions to help keep people safer. For intersections, that might mean installing traffic lights or stop signs to make people slow down and look both ways. It may mean reducing the speed limit, trimming back trees or removing items that block people’s vision.

In Manassas, you may have struggled with traffic on Williamson Boulevard and Stonehouse Drive in the past, but you can rely on a new traffic signal to help you avoid collisions there now. Of course, it will take some time for people to get used to these new traffic signals, so approach with caution as you drive through the area.

This new signal was commissioned and cost approximately $815,000. The funds came from the state and federal government’s Highway Safety Improvement Program. The goal was to help improve the intersection for drivers and pedestrians, as well as to help improve operations at the intersection. There are now pedestrian crossings in two places as well as yellow arrows that flash and signal when it’s acceptable to make U-turns and left turns from Williamson to Stonehouse.

William Boulevard has been one of the busiest roads in this region near Route 66, with somewhere around 16,000 vehicles passing through on it each day. Stonehouse Drive is also extremely busy with around 5,700 vehicles a day.

Changes like these can be a wonderful way to reduce the number of traffic collisions in a dangerous area. There is still a risk of a crash, so if you are hit, just remember that you still have an opportunity to pursue a claim.