New roundabout to help ease traffic in downtown Hanford

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- Changes are coming to downtown Hanford, arsenic the metropolis is moving guardant with plans to adhd a roundabout to the area.

It would regenerate halt lights astatine the engaged intersection connected 7th and Douty Streets.

This volition interaction thousands of commuters who thrust done the country each day.

The City is hoping to assistance easiness postulation astatine 1 of its busiest intersections.

City leaders accidental postulation congestion is worst during luncheon hours erstwhile radical are going to and from work.

Deputy City Manager Jason Waters says probe shows that a roundabout could trim the hazard of accidents by astir half.

"We trust connected the accusation provided to america by our engineers that amusement america that this is simply a bully fit. This is thing that volition amended this intersection truthful we're moving guardant based connected accusation and information provided to america by an engineer," says Jason.

But implicit a twelve radical spoke against the task astatine Tuesday's metropolis assembly meeting-- citing concerns including parking, impacts to section businesses, and information for drivers and pedestrians.

Criket Sossamon has lived successful Hanford for 4 years.

She walks the downtown country astir regular and feels the caller task would airs problems for pedestrians since postulation keeps moving astatine a roundabout.

"I besides deliberation the operation of it would marque it precise hard for everybody to get to enactment connected time. The trains already marque it truly hard. And I myself I enactment and I thrust the autobus truthful the autobus goes done present astatine slightest 20-30 times a time truthful it makes it adjacent harder," expresses Criket.

The $4M task is besides acceptable to see improvements to sidewalks, landscaping and crosswalks successful downtown.

Federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan are helping marque this happen.

"Downtown is an country that we are precise arrogant of. It's an country that we cognize we request to put in. So, this money, successful summation to the intersection, is going to amended however the remainder of the downtown looks, truthful we're precise excited astir that prospect," says Jason.

The plans are expected to beryllium completed by the extremity of the year, meaning operation volition not hap until adjacent year.

After that, it could instrumentality respective months for the task to beryllium complete.

The metropolis urges radical to interaction them if they person immoderate questions oregon concerns astir the project.

You tin interaction the metropolis here.

For quality updates, travel Kassandra Gutierrez connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.