SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – There’s a major change coming to the Highway 20 intersection in Sioux City that will help better the flow of traffic.

The Iowa DOT is assembling traffic lights to help control the congestion of vehicles flowing through the interchange.

DOT workers have started putting together traffic lights for the Highway 20 intersection, just off of Gordon Drive in Sioux City, heading east towards Lawton.

“There are certain times of the day you are not gonna get a gap and then we’re gonna experience backups onto northbound 75, so the signal helps to alleviate that situation. What’ll happen is it’ll create the gap by stopping the east-west traffic and allowing that entering traffic to get onto U.S. 20,” said Dakin Schultz with the Iowa DOT.

Over the past 5 years, the Iowa DOT has reported 23 accidents along the interchange.

“We have a higher crash rate on the northeastern corner and the west corner does as well, so we’re looking at trying to make some safety improvements as a part of this project to alleviate some of the crash,” said Schultz.

Dakin Schultz with the Iowa DOT said while the traffic lights are being put in they will have a short-term fix in place beginning in the middle of April.

“During the construction project we are also going to install a temporary traffic signal at each intersection.//It will control all movement of traffic, and that’s because we will have traffic one lane in each direction in the westbound lanes,” said Schultz.

Sioux City resident Reah Springer said she’s glad this change is coming.

“The worst part for me is getting from 20 on to 75. Cause if you have a lot of traffic in there, cars get backed up, and they just are coming in so fast from 20 that a lot of them don’t slow down to the recommended 45,” said Reah Springer, a Sioux City resident.

Springer said she believes this will not only help keep herself safe but other Siouxlanders protected while traversing the interchange. 

“I think it’s gonna be really beneficial to people trying to get on and off Highway 20 and on and off 75. It’ll help people slow down coming into town for one and then provide those gaps via the stop lights,” said Springer.

The traffic lights are expected to be installed and the road construction project is anticipated to be complete by 2024.