Ponderosa intersection lights turn on this week

by Dave Preston

If all goes to plan, Peachland’s third set of traffic lights will be fully operational Thursday. In the mean time, drivers should remember what flashing traffic signals mean.

On Monday, the traffic signals at the intersection of Hwy. 97 and 13th Street were turned on. For the next few days, the signals will be flashing only, to give drivers the opportunity to get used to the lights.

When the lights were activated, drivers approaching the intersection on 13th Street saw a red flashing light.Drivers on the highway saw yellow flashing lights.

This reporter noticed a number of drivers stopping at the intersection on the highway, as if the intersection had turned into a four-way stop. That is not what opposing red and yellow flashing lights mean.

According to ICBC, a red flashing traffic light means stop and continue only when it is safe. A yellow flashing traffic light means slow down and proceed with caution.

The traffic lights are part of more than $3 million in upgrades to the Ponderosa/13th Street intersection, Hwy. 97 and Princeton Avenue that is being paid for by the Ponderosa development.