Anybody who has traveled down Highway 2 in Broken Bow lately can probably attest to how much of an adventure it has become amongst construction equipment and orange barrels. Custer County Sheriff Dan Osmond is asking the public to bring their patience when navigating the always-changing landscape of the project.
“It changes every day, and just because there are barrels and cones and stuff like that doesn’t mean that it’s actually very easy to recognize where you need to be all the time,” said Osmond.
Osmond said that many problems that he has witnessed in the construction zone could have been avoided if the parties involved would have been traveling at a slower pace. He added that in addition to being careful about where you drive, it’s important to keep traffic flowing as it was designed to during the project.
“I see a lot of people, they pull up to that flashing red and they’re stopping and then somebody at the flashing yellow will stop and then they sit there and wait for the red to go. Well, that’s not what you’re supposed to do, right? That messes up the flow of traffic and it screws things up. I know you’re just trying to be nice and just letting somebody go, but that’s not how you should be doing it,” Osmond explained.
Crosswalk signs are also not functioning during the project, causing the crossing of the highway to be more difficult for pedestrians as well.
Osmond said that he is excited for the end result of the project just as much as everyone else because the surface definitely needed the work, but it’s important to practice patience during the process.
“25 instead of 35, you’ll be amazed at how much more you see and how much more you’re aware of what is going on,” said Osmond.
The Sheriff also added that when it comes to projects on highways across the county involving traffic lights, flaggers, and pilot cars that it is imperative that travelers to wait for the pilot car to arrive. He said the pilot car system is designed not only for the safety of drivers, but so that workers can be safe knowing they are always aware of where travelers through the work site are.
Listen to our full conversation with Sheriff Osmond here:
