A dangerous intersection in Knox received some attention by the city council this week as City Police Chief Clint Norem explained the intersection issue to the council.
Mayor Rick Chambers passed out a statement from the Knox Police Department that indicated the intersection at Portland and Lafayette streets is not as safe as it should be. Norem said drivers on Lafayette Street heading west that come to the intersection with Portland Street are forced to pull almost all the way into the intersection to see any southbound traffic. He explained that this is due in part to the design of the road and how it’s laid out, and residents at the corner have a fence and bushes that partially block the view as well.
Chambers offered the idea of asking the property owners to trim back the hedges, and if they agree to it, that may just solve the problem. Alternatively, signage could be placed denoting it as a dangerous intersection.
Norem noted that if a sign were going to be placed, the council might as well just make that intersection a four-way stop. However, he said that because of the design of the intersection, the stop sign would need to be placed a decent distance back from the crossroads.
Chambers said he would speak to the property owners with the hedges and fence and see if they would be willing to work with the city in making that intersection safer. The council will likely revisit the issue at their next meeting on Nov. 13.
