Expect to hear phrases such as “road rage” and “traffic jam” when describing the traffic light that is to be installed at the corner of Route 4 and Snell Hill Road. This is the location of the proposed Hannaford in Turner. The problems are that the northbound left turning lane is too short and the shoulder is too narrow, with a steep bank next to the shoulder.

If the left turning lane overflows, a northbound tractor-trailer has two options. It can stop and stop all northbound Route 4 traffic on a green light, or it can risk overturning the rig by driving beyond the 6-foot wide shoulder. This also applies to police, ambulance and firetrucks.

A tractor-trailer using the left turning lane can cause an overflow.

Hannaford’s traffic simulation explicitly excluded tractor-trailers from using the left turn lane. Tractor trailers going to the town dump are using the left turning lane. The left turning lane is 125 feet long. The traffic simulation shows a backup of 103 feet of passenger cars. A standard tractor-trailer is 75 feet long.

This traffic light has the blessing from MDOT and the Planning Board. Do we really need someone to die before something is done?

Kenji De Lige, Turner