Why Detour Routes Matter: Keeping Harrison Neighborhoods Safe During Road Closures

Road construction is a necessary part of maintaining the infrastructure that keeps our community moving. While closures and detours can be frustrating, those temporary traffic changes are designed with one goal in mind: moving people safely through and around construction zones while protecting the neighborhoods they pass through.

Recently, the City of Harrison has received concerns from residents about increased traffic on neighborhood streets as motorists seek alternate routes around road closures. Those concerns have included speeding, failure to stop at stop signs, and vehicles using residential streets and alleys as shortcuts.

The Harrison Police Department, Public Works Department, and City leadership have been actively monitoring these concerns and working with partner agencies to evaluate traffic impacts and potential solutions.

When a roadway closes, official detour routes are carefully planned to balance traffic flow, public safety, access for emergency vehicles, and the needs of surrounding neighborhoods. While residential streets may appear to provide a quicker route, they were not designed to function as major traffic corridors.

Unlike main roads, residential streets are home to families, pedestrians, children playing outside, people walking dogs, and neighbors entering and exiting driveways throughout the day. Increased traffic volumes and higher speeds can create safety concerns for everyone who lives there.

The Harrison Police Department would like to remind motorists of several important traffic laws that apply throughout our community:

• Follow all posted detour signs and traffic control devices.

• Obey posted speed limits, especially in residential neighborhoods.

• Come to a complete stop at all stop signs.

• Yield appropriately to pedestrians and local traffic.

• Understand that alleys are not intended to function as through streets or alternate roadways.

• Drivers exiting an alley must come to a complete stop before entering a roadway and proceed only when it is safe to do so.

In response to concerns received, the Harrison Police Department has increased traffic enforcement efforts in affected areas. Officers are conducting additional traffic enforcement focused on speeding, stop sign compliance, and other traffic violations. Traffic monitoring equipment is also being deployed to help evaluate traffic patterns and identify problem areas.

The City is also coordinating with regional partners responsible for roadway projects and detour planning to ensure concerns are communicated and evaluated as construction projects continue.

Road construction is temporary. The safety of our neighborhoods is not.

Every driver plays a role in protecting the community. By following posted detour routes, obeying traffic laws, and slowing down in residential areas, motorists can help ensure Harrison's neighborhoods remain safe places for families, children, and neighbors.

Thank you for helping keep Harrison safe.