It appears motorists on West Ina Road have gotten used to the fact that they can’t make direct left turns onto North Oracle Road anymore.
However, if they forget, there is a bright, illuminated, red-and-white reminder telling them to keep straight and make a U-turn at the next stoplight before doubling back to Oracle — part of the “Michigan” indirect left turn at the intersection.
The “no left turn/no U-turn sign,’” which illuminates when the light turns green for Ina drivers, is unique because it’s the only lighted traffic sign in the unincorporated area of Pima County.
The signs were installed in October, about a month after the intersection was converted to the Michigan left turn, said Priscilla Cornelio, director of the Pima County Department of Transportation.
People are also reading…
The county waited about a month to install the signs because of ongoing construction and traffic detours at the time, she said.
The signs are rare, but not new to Tucson streets.
The county had a similar device at East Ajo Way and South Palo Verde Road warning drivers not to make right turns on a red light at the intersection.
County transportation officials removed the sign last August because traffic violations decreased, indicating drivers had gotten used to the restrictions, Cornelio said.
Right turns are still prohibited at the south-side intersection, but standard metal signs now inform motorists of this rule.
The county installed the lighted signs at both intersections because motorists encountered some uncommon restrictions in those areas.
“Our indirect left turns are not standard and the prohibition of right turns on red is also not standard,” she said.
Cornelio noted that Ina and Oracle has the only indirect left turn in the county.
The old and new signs cost about $6,500 each.
The intersection at Oracle and West Grant Road in the city limits has the same Michigan left turn, but there are no lighted “do not turn here” signs at the intersection.
“Our guys said they wanted to make sure people saw it,” Cornelio said, referring to the Ina and Oracle sign. “They wanted to make it different and make it stand out.”
Overall, county officials have credited the Michigan left turn, as well as an expanded right turn from westbound Ina onto northbound Oracle, with reducing traffic congestion at the intersection. Traffic along that portion of Ina has increased by 7 percent within the past two years, Cornelio said.
”If we wouldn’t have done the left turn, the delays would’ve been much worse.”
New Tucson lounge to embrace dark and cozy
