Left turns not allowed

• By SCOTT DYER
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jan 11, 2009 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 am

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

Beginning at 7 p.m. today, motorists won’t be able to make left-hand turn lanes in any direction at the intersection of Sherwood Forest and Coursey boulevards.

The closures are expected to last five months and are part of a $7.2 million project to improve what has become one of Baton Rouge’s busiest intersections.

“We think this is going to be the quickest way to finish the project, and will make it as painless as possible,” said Jose Alvarez, the city-parish’s chief construction engineer.

Alvarez said computer models showed that the intersection would have backed up traffic and created a nightmare for motorists if left-hand turns were allowed during the construction.

The contract with Hard Rock Construction requires the contractor to maintain two through lanes of traffic from each direction at all times weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., or face fines of $5,000 per hour, Alvarez said.

On weekends and after 7 p.m. on weekdays, the contractor is required to keep one through lane open in each direction, Alvarez said.

Alvarez said motorists may find that traffic will flow even better through the intersection with no left-hand turn lanes than previously.

“All the time that was used for left-hand turns is now going to be used for straight-throughs,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said a series of detours will be marked with signs to help motorists navigate alternative left turns.

For instance, motorists who are southbound on Sherwood Forest Boulevard will have to go through the intersection to Airline Highway, make a second left-hand turn on Jefferson Highway, take another left on Stumberg Lane and continue back to Coursey Boulevard.

Motorists westbound on Coursey can use the same detour in reverse order to reach the section of Sherwood Forest that would normally be accessed by a left-hand turn at the intersection.

For eastbound motorists on Coursey who would normally turn left on Sherwood Forest, the detour backtracks to Airline, directs them to get on Interstate 12 and then exit on Sherwood Forest.

And northbound motorists on Sherwood Forest who would normally make a left on Coursey can follow a detour that takes them north on Airline Highway to Coursey.