Destination lighting to be installed across county

           County Engineer Andrew McGuire has announced that the Highway Department will set up six new intersection destination lighting location throughout Keokuk County as per recommendation by the county’s local safety plan.

            Destination lighting, according to McGuire, helps drivers identify important locations and will hopefully reduce accidents. Locations in Keokuk County were chosen by crash analysis, accident reports, recommendations by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) through a local road safety plan, and interest from the community. The DOT has joint jurisdiction over the intersections where the county road meets a state highway and the county has been approved for the project.

            McGuire will consider several options for lighting, including LED, High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and solar powered lighting. According to McGuire, LED lighting is more directional lighting, while HPS has light spilling to see from more of a distance. Choices for lighting will be identified by what power is available and what is feasible financially. The county will look at solar powered lighting for destinations that have limited to no access to a power line.

            Alliant Energy would install the lights at the recommended locations, unless they are to be solar powered. The cost presented for renting the lighting is $9.75 a month plus the power for each light. The estimated cost with power figured in would be $15 per month per pole. McGuire hopes to have the lights installed by the fall or pending project development. The following are locations that will receive destination lighting:

            Highway 22/V67, Highway 22/W15, Highway 78/V5G, Highway 92/67 (north and south), Highway 78/V41, and Expo Road/200^th Ave.