Moran intersection prone to accidents

MORAN — The frightening sound of screeching brakes and the imminent “boom” of a crash are all-too familiar to Kirk Dwyer, whose restaurant, Chancy’s Grill and Shake, is a stone’s throw from the intersection of highways 54 and 59.
Since Dwyer took over the restaurant in 1992, accidents at the intersection have occurred frequently. Twenty-two times, in fact, since 2005, according to Kansas Department of Transportation.
Without hesitation, Sheriff Bryan Murphy pegs the intersection as the most dangerous in Allen County, on strength of the proliferation of accidents and that many of them — 11 of the last 22, including two so far in 2015 — have resulted in injuries. To wit: Five people were hurt in each of two accidents, one in January 2013, the other a month later.
“We’re very fortunate we haven’t had any fatalities,” he said.
Why the intersection is so accident-prone is baffling to Murphy. His best guess is inattentive drivers. Of the last 22 accidents, 17 drivers have been cited for failure to yield the right of way.
Murphy thinks KDOT has done all it can to make the intersection safe.
“KDOT lowered speed limits for traffic approaching from either direction on U.S. 54 to 45 mph (from open highway speed of 65 mph) and the stop signs on U.S. 59 are large enough they are supported by two posts,” he said. “There also are red warning lights for approaches from north and south,” as well as rumble strips for vehicles coming from the north.
If there is a single reason for accidents, it may be the viaduct that carries U.S. 54 over the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks just east of the intersection.
“It seems most accidents occur with vehicles coming from the south on U.S. 59,” Murphy noted, “and vehicles involved usually end up northwest of the intersection,” which also indicates a vehicle coming from the east.
“Sometimes people get complacent while they’re driving and just don’t see cars coming,” or don’t correctly gauge how fast approaching traffic is, he said. “It’s unfortunate we have two major highways with an intersection.”

FROM HIS ring-side seat, Dwyer is equally puzzled.
“I have no idea why there are so many accidents,” Dwyer said. “I thought when they cut the cedar trees (several years ago that blocked some view to the east) that would help, but it hasn’t seemed to make any difference.
“I think people hold up (at the U.S. 59) stop signs, then pull out and for some odd reason don’t see cars coming. Maybe it’s because of the overpass; maybe it’s because they see cars on U.S. 54 and think it’s a four-way stop,” he opined.
Dwyer, after some chin-rubbing thought, does have an idea about how the intersection might be made safer.
His suggestion: Construct a round-about, which would slow traffic on both highways. “It would be a nice little thing. I’ve seen them in other places and they seem to work real well.”
Meanwhile, Dwyer remains thankful that none of the intersection’s accidents have resulted in fatalities, particularly “the way some of those cars are T-boned.”