Safety improvements for Lamar and Rundberg intersection

As part of an effort to make Austin roads safer, the city began improvements  to one of its most dangerous intersections. Long time Austin drivers like Samuel Yamthe have felt some changes in their afternoon commutes.

“It's like I'm ready to go and move because it's too big for me right now,” said Yamthe.

With all that traffic you can count on accidents. Last year the city identified five of the city's most dangerous intersections.

1. West Slaughter and Manchaca Road
2. Lamar Boulevard and Parmer Lane
3. U.S. 183 and Cameron Road
4. I-35 service road Southbound and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard,
5. Lamar Boulevard and Rundberg Lane

Monday they began work on Lamar and Rundberg. It’s a welcome occasion for some drivers like Yamthe.

“I totaled my car in front of my office there,” said Yamthe.

He says he sees accidents here all the time, lot involving pedestrians. Police said this year, 20 people have been hit and killed on Austin roads. In 2015 that number was 30.

“We need to engineer something here that would help, mostly the people walking, said Yamthe.
               
The city is installing high visibility crosswalks and converting old crossings into full signal pedestrian crossings, just to name a few. One of the things they'll do for drivers is build raised medians.               

It's a part of Austin's “Vision Zero” plan, to have zero fatalities. With these improvements they're hoping to see that come true.

The transportation department already finished two of these five dangerous intersections. They’ve already finished I-35 and MLK and are wrapping up Cameron Road and U.S. 183. If you travel North Lamar expect some lane closures between 9 A.M. and 4 P.M. during the week.