Residents of Panevėžys are angry: left with an unregulated intersection, they maneuver every day on the brink of a massive accident

For the past few days, the residents of Panevėžys have had to diversify with such emotions, trying to cross one of the largest intersections of Vilnius and J. Basanavičiaus streets in the city without traffic lights.

The remaining and adjacent intersection of Vilnius and Ramygalos streets was not regulated. “It’s amazing! Didn’t you know that on September 1 there would be more cars than usual?

The minivan driver said that at noon, he left the Vilnius street side to turn left onto J. Basanavičiaus street, waiting about half an hour.

Drove at risk

Gindrita Puskunigienė from Dembava, who fell into the same trap on Tuesday, said crossing the intersection on one side of Vilniaus Street was a challenge worth taking the risk.

“I saw that I was late for work and was stuck on Vilniaus street. I had to drive straight, but the flow of cars on main J. Basanavičiaus street was unstoppable. Many, losing patience, lined up to turn right, quickly , and there was a queue. So, not out of place, “said G. Puskunigienė.

The driver does not hide in the intersection while in serious risk.

“Waiting for an educated driver to appear among the people driving down the main street and pass me, I put my nose at the intersection. Then I finally missed it, but it was very risky to get to the side ”, Gindrita shared her impressions from a kind of race track.

It bothered him that drivers at such an intersection were left to fend for themselves without a traffic controller.

“Following the traffic signs, it would be impossible to drive from that intersection on Vilniaus Street. Why can’t a policeman regulate traffic or build a temporary moving traffic light? ”Asked G. Puskunigienė.

The cables broke

Representatives of the municipality of Panevėžys justify that traffic jams put pressure on them no less than drivers when the traffic lights go out.

According to Dalius Vadluga, head of the city’s infrastructure department, the old cables are to blame for the chaos that has been going on in the central streets of Panevėžys for a couple of days.

“Do you think we are okay? We no longer even ask the contractors, but we are already shouting, we are pushing to put them in order as soon as possible. We can see what the traffic flows are,” said D. Vadluga.

According to him, the traffic lights went out unexpectedly: it was planned to change the physically and morally obsolete traffic lights in the city center to smart ones without turning off the old ones during the reconstruction.

According to the project manager, Arvydas Šatas, a specialist from the City’s Infrastructure Department, unforeseen problems arose due to the total refusal to work on the old multi-core cable. “It is a coincidence that due to circumstances beyond our control, the cable broke. Contractors are trying to fix it until it is done, the traffic lights at the intersection of Vilnius and J. Basanavičiaus streets will not work,” said A. Šatas .

According to him, the contractors themselves were in a rush to repair the fault: they worked late into the night on Tuesday. The old traffic lights started working, but overnight the cable “died” again.

I can’t even touch

A. Balandis, production manager for the Vilnius Maniga company, which is changing the antiques of the Panevėžys intersections into smart ones, says that the state of the aluminum cables that supported the life of the traffic lights is such that they fall apart as soon as possible. as they break. touch them.

“It just came to our attention then. They had to be changed at least five years ago,” explains the contractor’s representative.

According to him, the rebuilt traffic lights in the city center are managed from scratch: all communications are replaced by new ones.

A. Balandis was in awe of the outraged drivers. According to him, the Traffic Rules clearly state that traffic signals must be followed when the traffic lights do not work.

Regulate in a modern way

In the center of Panevėžys, five traffic light poles will be replaced by smart ones this year: J. Basanavičiaus and Vilniaus streets, J. Basanavičiaus and Ukmergės streets, J. Biliūno str. – Velžio Road – Vilniaus Street. – Pajuostės pl., J. Basanavičiaus st. and Plaza Savanorių, Vilniaus street. and Ramygalos street, as well as smart traffic will be regulated at the pedestrian crossing located on J. Basanavičiaus street. off Elektros Street. All of these intersections, except J. Biliūno str. – Velžio Road – Vilniaus Street. – The lanes, for example, will be connected to a common coordinated management system: the traffic lights will be connected to the so-called green corridor.

According to A. Šatas, all reconstruction is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Currently, most of the works have been carried out at J. Biliūno St. – Velžio kelias – Vilniaus St. – Tiras pl. at the intersection. Here new supports have already been installed and new traffic lights have been hung. Work on its adjustment will begin shortly.

Of the city’s 47 traffic light poles, only 19 were installed as the 2012 issued rules for the installation of traffic lights. The condition of the others is satisfactory, and four of them are even in an emergency situation.