Construction began Monday to prepare the intersection of Main and Whiton Streets for new traffic lights.

City of Whitewater Public Works Director Dean Fischer said though the construction is a Wisconsin Department of Transportation project, the city will help in anyway they can.

“We’re participating, we requested it, but it’s really their project to run,” he said.  “So the city has no direct contract, but we know the contractor and we’ll help them anyway we can.”

According to Fischer, the work done Monday was preparation work to help aid the contractor.

City Manager Kevin Brunner said the construction project will cost approximately

$220,000, 80 percent of which is covered by federal funding.

According to Brunner the city began looking at traffic lights to replace the overhead pedestrian signals three years ago after a UW-Whitewater student was hit in the crosswalk, however, the grant approval process slowed things down.

“We were able to secure some federal funding through the state department of transportation to assist with the improvement at that intersection,” he said.  “Unfortunately with federal funding, it takes a long time to go through the approval process and it took us literally two years.”

Brunner said though the overhead pedestrian signals had to be taken down as part of the construction process, they will be recycled and used at other intersections in the city.

According to Brunner, traffic lights are much safer because they actually force traffic to stop rather than yield to pedestrians.

Fischer said it is hoped the project will be completed by the first week of November, but it is difficult to tell.

“It’s technically a 30-day contract, but the problem is, when you order stop and go lights they don’t have stop and go lights here in 30 days,” he said.  “As soon as those traffic signals show up, we’ll then come up here and slap those on the pedestals that will be constructed over the next couple weeks and then they’ll have those operational in a couple days.”

The center two lanes will be open during the day, however, Fischer said both drivers and pedestrians should avoid the intersection.

“It’s amazing, the traffic just does not want to slow down going through there even though they’re being squeezed with barrels they just want to keep flying,” he said.  “It’s going to be a scary intersection for the next five to six weeks.”

Brunner said safety will be key over the course of construction.

“We want people to really watch themselves going through that intersection, both pedestrians and drivers,” he said.

Fischer said during the construction it is preferred pedestrians cross at the Prairie, Prince and Cottage Street crosswalks and drivers avoid Whiton Street.