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600+ traffic lights are coming to BR with this new feature

Work has begun to replace Baton Rouge-area traffic lights with ones that have flashing yellow turn signal arrows for drivers.

More than 220 lights have been installed already as a part of the first phase, says Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development communications director Rodney Mallett. Some 60 more lights will be installed before the phase is completed in September.

The second phase calls for approximately 350 lights to be installed by June 2024, and the third phase replaces lights at an additional 73 intersections. There isn’t a timeline set for the third phase yet, Mallett says, because the state is still awaiting materials.

“The projects were broken up primarily due to budget constraints,” Mallett told Daily Report.  The overall project is budgeted at just shy of $11.5 million.

The transition is part of a larger effort to replace all of the state’s traffic lights with the updated turn signals after the Federal Highway Administration in 2009 OK’d their use. The lights with the arrows are considered easier to understand than the traditional three-light stoplight.

This story originally appeared in a June 1 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.