Cars are stacked up in the eastbound lanes of U.S. 72 near the intersection of Braly Boulevard.72 traffic

If you find yourself aggravated by the slow flow of traffic on U.S. 72 from Lindsay Lane to Jefferson Street, you’re not alone.

A frustrated reader called The News Courier Friday to ask if the Alabama Department of Transportation had a plan to adjust the timing of signals on the busy thoroughfare. He claimed drivers are becoming increasingly frustrated by the long wait times at stop lights.

An Alabama Department of Transportation official said Friday he had not heard any recent complaints about the issue. Earlier this year, the lights were affected by a boom truck’s collision with traffic signals that also damaged a component that affects when the lights change.

The crash resulted in a loss of a detection unit at the intersection of U.S. 72 and I-65. Because of that, the left-turn lights activated regardless of whether vehicles were in the turn lane. ALDOT remedied the problem, however, and also made improvements to the bridge overpass over Interstate 65. Turn lanes were modified to accommodate more vehicles getting on the interstate.

ALDOT Spokesman Seth Burkett said the department recently contacted a consultant to review signal timing and access management on U.S. 72, and he anticipated receiving those recommendations by early next year.

He explained there would always be traffic through that corridor because it’s the busiest in Athens. It includes the bulk of the city’s most popular stores and restaurants, including Publix, Chick-fil-A, Walmart and Starbucks.

“The traffic volume on U.S. 72 around Exit 351 actually exceeds that of I-65 in that area,” Burkett said. “From I-65 to Lindsay Lane, it has four signalized intersections in a half mile.”

Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson said he had not received complaints on the signal times recently, but added he would be willing to work with the city engineer and ALDOT to see if there is a problem. He added the improvements ALDOT made to the bridge overpass eased congestion considerably.

He echoed Burkett’s comments about the sheer volume of traffic through the corridor being the primary issue. He’s concerned, however, about an increased amount of crashes on the corridor at Kelli Drive and Lindsay Lane.

“We’ll certainly watch it more closely, and if we need the state to come back (and look at signals), we can do that,” Johnson said. “It’s just a busy place.”