The Craig City Council on Tuesday discussed the removal of four-way stop signs at Sixth and School streets and at Sixth and Ranney streets.

The talk was prompted by a Colorado Department of Transportation road study, the results of which were presented to the city in September. CDOT recommends that stop signs not be used for speed control and that alternatives be explored for reducing speed on roadways.

High traffic volume on Sixth Street suggests that it should be the through street, according to the study.

The stop signs were placed at the intersection in 1996 because of resident complaints of speeding in the neighborhood, police Chief Walt Vanatta said. He said more accidents have occurred at those intersections since the signs were installed.

Craig City Manager Jim Ferree said the signs were doing what they were intended to do: slowing traffic. The council agreed and decided to leave the signs as they are.

Another area noted in the safety study was the frontage road north of U.S. Highway 40 and west of Finley Lane. The frontage road is separated from the highway by a five-foot median, with several open access points between the road and the highway.

CDOT suggests closing as many of these access points as possible, and where not possible, posting signs that prohibit right turns by eastbound vehicles onto the highway.

Vehicles traveling east on the frontage road would be able to access U.S. Highway 40 at Finley Lane or Fourth Avenue.

The council asked for diagrams of the highway and the frontage road to study before its next meeting, May 23.

The council also addressed the intersection where traffic exits the K-Mart parking lot and turns right onto West Victory Way. The number of drivers trying to turn left or cross the highway has made this the most accident-prone intersection in Craig, Ferree and Vanatta said.

The council approved the installation of a traffic control device known as a “pork chop” to force traffic into a right turn when entering the highway from K-Mart.

Dan Olsen can be reached at 824-7031, ext.207, or dolsen@craigdailypress.com.