New signs removed

New stop signs that appeared Thursday are gone.

In nine days, they’re expected to be back again.

Indiana Department of Transportation removed stop signs Friday after installing them the day before at the intersection of Votaw Street (Indiana 26/27), Williams Street and the south entrance to Walmart.

The new signs created a four-way stop at the intersection. Previously, only traffic from Walmart and Williams Street was required to stop.

A message from INDOT shared on the Portland Police Department Facebook page says the new stop signs along Votaw Street were installed Thursday “in error prior to placement of appropriate pavement markings and advance message boards.” It said the signs would be removed at noon Friday.

They were installed Thursday, with a local text alert going out about the new signs shortly before 1 p.m. (Neither city officials nor local media were notified about the new signs prior to the installation.) Portland police were at the location to “ensure public safety” and alert drivers to the change.

A press release from INDOT early Friday afternoon indicates that the stop signs will be installed again on or after Monday, April 14. (The release to the media did not address the early installation this week.) 

The new signs, which will have flashing lights, will be accompanied by advance warning signs, rumble strips and temporary message boards to alert drivers to the change.

The release indicates that safety was a key factor in the decision to make the site a four-way stop.

“Converting similar locations from two-way to all-way stop intersections have been shown to significantly improve traffic safety and mobility,” it says.

The site has been the location of traffic collisions, including a 2011 crash that claimed the life of Portland Fire Chief Matt Aker.