Beginning Aug. 25, motorists traveling between Union and Lukesville on Rice Avenue Extension will have to stop at the intersection with Industrial Park Road.

The S.C. Department of Transportation will soon install four-way stop signs at the intersection. SCDOT personnel placed signs at the intersection Tuesday announcing the four-way stop. This is in accordance with department policy that the public be notified of the change at least two weeks in advance.

Traffic has been picking up at the intersection with the construction of the new Timken Park Sports Complex and is expected to get even heavier once the complex opens. The intersection has been the scene of several accidents in recent months leading to calls for a four-way stop or even traffic lights to be installed.

Resident maintenance engineer Phil Hinson said the four-way stop is being installed as a result of a traffic study.

“We’re trying to anticipate the traffic that’s going to be there,” he said. “We did a traffic study and it determined that the intersection did not require a stoplight. The study did determine that a four-way stop would be sufficient to control the traffic in that area.”

Hinson added that currently there are no plans to change the speed limit on either road.

“What we’ll do is typically put up the stop signs and monitor the traffic flow to make sure that the four-way is being utilized in the proper manner. If necessary, the speed will be adjusted but I don’t anticipate that. People are used to the speeds on that road currently and the only change will be just a four-way stop instead of a two.”

Hinson said the SCDOT will send out memos to local agencies including the media, law enforcement and emergency responders notifying them of the change.

He said the memos were mailed out this morning.

For more information contact the Union County office of the SCDOT at 427-3575.