Out-of-towners coming off of U.S. Route 219 won’t understand the frustration that Bradford locals have had to deal with, being that construction work has changed the traffic rules of the intersection of Elm and Davis streets.  

The hassle for drivers starts on Elm Street, where local drivers coming from the direction of Chestnut Street have been accustomed to making a left onto Davis Street ahead of those making a right onto Davis Street, coming from the direction of Route 219, who have always had a stop sign in the past.

With the construction changing the intersection into a standard, three-way intersection, that stop sign has been completely removed, creating the confusion that has been frustrating local drivers as of late.

Bradford City Police Chief Chris Lucco, weighed in on the confusion stating, “It’s understandable that people are having trouble adjusting. Anyone else coming from out of town would see it as any other three-way intersection, but locals have almost an instinctual habit of turning left ahead of those turning right on Elm and Davis,” he said.

“As accustomed as they might be, they’re going to have to treat it like any other three-way intersection, and the right-of-way always goes to the person going right,” the chief said. “That’s just how it is.”

The Davis Street streetscape construction project has been going on since May of this year.

The contract for the construction extends the project completion date to November, but Sara Andrews, executive director of the Office of Economic and Community Development, expects the construction to be finished much earlier.

“We expect that it will be completed by the end of August. They will be adding a new welcome sign, landscaping, trees and light poles on Davis Street prior to completion,” Andrews said.

The new traffic rules on the intersection will be permanent, meaning that in the interest of driver safety, the old ways of driving on Elm and Davis street will have to give way to the new traffic rules.