Letter: Travel stop will make for dangerous traffic

I read in last week’s CBH that Love’s will rebuild Prichard and Sage roads to accommodate traffic for its new travel center and truck stop and the city, after it has already approved the project, is going to commission a traffic study. I would think that should have been done first, but if that study is done honestly and fairly I believe it will be obvious that several huge, costly and possibly deadly traffic bottlenecks are being created.

The first bottleneck is the north side I-90 exiting traffic, turning left onto the Hansen Road overpass. The state acknowledges that the overpass wouldn’t meet today’s codes and will have to be rebuilt, as well as a couple of roundabouts to accommodate the additional traffic. In any case we’re talking millions. My question is, why should taxpayers pay for it? If Love’s wants to build there, let them foot the bill.

A second, equally confusing and dangerous scenario, will be created at the juncture of Idaho and Sage roads as westbound traffic attempts to get back on I-90. There will be literally thousands of vehicles coming daily from the north and south attempting to cross the overpass. A roundabout will help, but will be less than adequate. And last but not least will be the danger of 70 mph eastbound traffic as it exits the freeway onto Prichard as Idaho Road traffic is also turning onto Prichard to I-90 East. I ask again, why should we, the taxpayers, be stuck for the millions of dollars this boondoggle will cost? And what do we get out of it? The answer is a life-threatening traffic jam that was ill conceived and should never have been approved.

I urge the city, the county and the state, who are all involved in this project, to please reconsider this site and find a less dangerous and expensive location for Love’s. I understand George solicited it.

Lewis McCullough

Moses Lake